Oguta Lake

Oguta Lake
Location Imo State
Coordinates 5°42′24″N 6°47′33″E / 5.70667°N 6.79250°E / 5.70667; 6.79250Coordinates: 5°42′24″N 6°47′33″E / 5.70667°N 6.79250°E / 5.70667; 6.79250
Primary inflows Utu, Awbuna and Njaba rivers
Basin countries Nigeria
Max. depth 8 m

Oguta Lake is the largest natural lake in Imo State, South East Nigeria;[1] within the equatorial rainforest region of Niger Delta.[2] Oguta Lake's catchment area comprises the drainage area of the Njaba River and a part of the River Niger floodplain in the region south of Onitsha.[3]

Location

The lake is situated in Oguta about thirty miles (48.27 km) from the junction of the Ndoni and Orashi River.It is a fine piece of water, being about five miles (8.05 km) long from east to west and a mile and half (2.41 km) wide.[4] Njaba River is a major tributary of Oguta Lake.[4] The other 3 tributaries are Awbana, Utu and Orashi. The Orashi River flows past Oguta Lake in its southwestern portion.[5]

Economic Importance

The lake is important to the people of oil-rich Njaba River basin including Oguta, Orsu, Mgbidi, Nkwesi, Awo-Omamma and Izombe as a source of water, fish, tourism and an outlet for sewerage.[6] Uhamiri is the goddess of the Lake.[7]

Trade Route

The river route from the lake via Awo-Omamma, Orashi River, Ndoni, Abonnema, River Benue,and to coast made Oguta, Ossemotor and surrounding towns important commercial centres of international trade.[4]

Oguta Lake also served as a Biafran army marine base during the Nigerian Civil War.[8]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ NFOR, Bruno Ndicho; et al. (2012). "Inventory of the Quaternary Geology and the Evolution of the Oguta Lake, in Southeastern Nigeria". World Journal of Engineering and Pure and Applied Science (Department of Geology, Anambra State University, Uli, Anambra State, Nigeria) 2:1 (2249-0582): 2.
  2. ↑ UMUNNAKWE, JOHNBOSCO EMEKA; et al. (2014). "Assessment of Water Quality and Heavy Metal levels of Fish Species in Oguta Lake, Imo State Nigeria". Journal of Natural Sciences Research 4 (2225-0921): 1.
  3. ↑ OGUNKOYA, Prof. O.O. (2007). "Oguta Lake" (PDF). Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands(RIS) (2006-2008): 4.
  4. 1 2 3 Okonkwo, Uche Uwaezuoke (2011). "The Aro, Host Communities And Continuties In Intergroup Suspicion In The Oguta Area Since Pre-colonial Times" (PDF). Afro Asian Journal of Social Sciences 2 (2.4): 1. ISSN 2229-5313.
  5. ↑ Okoro, BC, RA, NM; et al. (2014). "River Basins of Imo State for Sustainable Water Resources Management" (PDF). Civil & Environmental Engineering 4.1 (2165-784X.1000134): 4.
  6. ↑ "OGUTA LAKE". www.ilec.or.jp. Retrieved 2008-06-08.
  7. ↑ Chuku, Gloria (2005). Igbo women and economic transformation in southeastern Nigeria, 1900-1960. Routledge. p. 26. ISBN 0-415-97210-8.
  8. ↑ "LakeNet -Lakes". www.worldlakes.org. Retrieved 2008-06-08.

External links


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, May 02, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.