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47-457: This lake, called the "Great Lake" in the inner delta of Niger River between Jenne and Timbuktu in Mali, was known to Europeans from very early times. The earliest known report of it was in the first millennium BC. Ptolemy described it as having the shape of a barbell . Study of more than 400 maps of the region created over a period from 1000 to 1900 AD found that the lake appeared on 95 percent;

94-606: A pilgrimage to Mecca , stopping with his entourage in Egypt and dispensing enough gold to devalue the Egyptian currency. This started the legend of a city in the interior of Africa, where roads were said to be paved with gold and buildings topped with roofs of gold. The city is located at the southern edge of the Sahara , near the Niger River , which has headwaters in the highlands very near

141-450: A grass, shrub and tree layer, up to 80% of vegetation cover in the Sahel consists of grass. In the delta area however, water is more readily available and a larger proportion of cover consists of bushes and trees. Vegetation cover itself changes as well, reaching 100% during and shortly after the flood season. Only low lying patches near a persistent water body are vegetated year-round. The area

188-411: A main body water and elevation. In turn, this strongly affects land use in and around the inland delta, as human impact is driven by agriculture , both irrigated and rainfed, grazing and browsing of herds and flocks and the collection of wood for fuel, all dependent on the availability of water. The Inland Delta forms a green oasis in its semi-arid surroundings. Its vegetation growth is limited by

235-455: A meandering and multi-channel flow pattern, which has resulted in the formation of inner delta of the Niger. The inner delta thus has many wide channels, which are shallow and flooded marshes; this delta extends over a length of 320 km (200 mi) with a width of 80 km (50 mi). It is inferred from the study of nearly 400 maps that it is the delta which is the origin of the lake and that

282-479: A similar way lack of control is also causing over-grazing. Finally the Selingue Dam and other water control projects affect the levels and seasonal behaviour of the rivers. Tombouctou Region Tombouctou Region or Timbuktu Region ( Bambara : ߕߎߡߎߕߎ ߘߌߣߋߖߊ, Tumutu Dineja) is one of the administrative regions of Mali . For administrative purposes, the region is subdivided into five cercles . The region

329-404: Is 43 °C (109 °F) and at Mopti is 40 °C (104 °F). The cooler climatic season is from December to January with temperatures dropping to a mean minimum of 3 °C (37 °F) to 6 °C (43 °F) in the northern part of the delta. Lake Débo during high flow season when it has the maximum dimensions of water spread, is 80 km (50 mi) from Mopti on its upstream, on

376-449: Is also reported from the flood plains. Within the basin area of the lake and the delta mammal species reported include: roan antelope , dorcas gazelle , dama gazelle , red-fronted gazelle , whilst reptile species include Nile monitor and African rock python . The avifauna found within the lake area, which forms one of the major wetlands in the Sahel , is represented by species from both

423-555: Is extensive, is of wild rice ( Oryza longistaminata and bartti ). Another plant species that acts as barrier to sand deposition is the Vetiveria nigritiana , when the water stages in the lake and the delta is high. The aquatic plants sustain varying levels of water in the lake and the soil types dictates the ecology of the region. The sloping banks of the lake have shrubs interspersed with grasses and vacant patches, and woody species, generally of acacia species. Akkagoun and Dentaka are

470-407: Is formed upstream of the confluence of Niger and Bani Rivers . It is the best known lacustrine lake in Mali, which has diameter of 30 km (19 mi) and shallow and hence large vessels can not pass through the lake. In the upper highland reaches of these rivers, the highland terrain slopes are very gentle resulting in the retardation of flows and creation of this lake. The slope reported before

517-409: Is in the range of 2.4–3.0 m (8–10 ft). Foolahs, the nomads who live here, use these marshes as pastures in the dry season and thereafter they go back to their habitats in the interior of the basin. During the high flood stage, flood waters arriving at the lake are reported as 12,400 km/s (178,000 cu mi/min). This was absorbed in the vast lake, as storage, and the out flow from

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564-462: Is not uniform: according to relief , proximity to a water body and soil type, different species exist. Roughly, three regions with characteristic species can be discerned: Southern Delta The low-lying floodplains can sustain aquatic plants and grasses including the grasses Acroceras amplectens and Echinochloa pyramidalis , burgu millet ( Echinochloa stagnina ) and the lovegrass Eragrostis atrovirens . Outer fringes - The grasslands on

611-728: Is part of northern Mali that was separated and declared independent by the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) during the Tuareg rebellion of 2012 . In the course of the conflict, the MNLA lost control of the territory to Islamist militias. Tombouctou Region is world-famous for its capital, the ancient city Timbuktu ( French : Tombouctou ), synonymous to 19th-century Europeans with an elusive, hard-to-reach destination. The city gained fame in 1390 when its ruler, Mansa Musa I , went on

658-468: The Gobiocichla wonderi are two endemic species of fishes in the lake which is part of the inland delta. The aquatic fauna in the delta as a whole, which is reflective of the lake also, consists of 130 species mostly of the species in the families of Mormyridae , Mochokidae , and Cyprinidae . There are many migratory fish species which migrate along the river to this region; out of these migrating fishes

705-603: The African tetras Brycinus leuciscus travels long distances up to the delta and also up to the toe of the Markala Dam . When the Niger and Bani Rivers are in spate , fishing operations are carried out in the lake using trawlers. The ethnic Bozo fisherman, resident on the shores of the lake are involved in these operations. During the dry season, the many ethnic Fula nomads come to this lake area as their terminus destination during

752-579: The Atlantic coast before its long 3,200 kilometres (2,000 mi) journey to the north east, before finally turning south to reach the Atlantic. The riches of the kingdom were due to Tombouctou's position as the southern terminus of the trans-Saharan trade in gold, salt, kola nuts, copper and slaves. Timbuktu's decline began with the capture of the city by Morocco in 1592. Many Islamic scholars were dispersed, some to Morocco. Morocco had difficulty holding onto

799-557: The French army. The region became a part of the country of Mali on its independence in 1960. The Niger inland Delta lies in the Sahelian zone, and has an ecosystem that is largely dependent on the amount of flooding it receives. Precipitation in the water basins of the upper course of the Bani and Niger rivers makes for rising waterlevels downstream. The rising water floods varying parts of

846-537: The Niger River , between the bifurcated Niger and its tributary the Bani , which from here run north towards the desert. The Niger is the longest river in West Africa. Towns such as the river-port of Mopti , Sévaré and Djenné , with its mud-brick Great Mosque lie in the 400 km-long region. The Fulani and Dogon inhabit the Macina region and the surrounding area, which has a population of over 500,000. Most of

893-475: The Palearctic and Afrotropic ecozones. Over one million birds have been recorded as using the lake;, including a large number of migratory and resident species, such as sand martin and yellow wagtail , reed cormorant , glossy ibis , spoonbill , great white egret , purple heron , ferruginous duck , white-winged black tern , ruff and black-tailed godwit . However, a number of Afrotropical species such as

940-454: The "Harima" (meaning: a local convention) with the chief of village and other members responsible for its usage; and the several small holdings (within the bourgou ) parceled to private individuals. the perennial grasses grown are edible and easily digestible with botanical names of Echinochloa stagnina (a perennial plant) and Vossia cuspidata , and which grow in varying depths of water (3–5 m or 10–16 ft). The crop variety, which

987-571: The Inner Niger Delta by 43 percent. The area under deep inundation is crucial for pastoralists , because it is only there that Borgou ( Echinochloa stagnina ) grows, a plant which is particularly nutritious for cattle. Nomadic pastoralists come from as far away as Burkina Faso and Mauritania to allow their cattle to graze on the Borgou of the Inner Niger Delta. According to a report in Jeune Afrique ,

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1034-486: The Malians living there and during the wet season is a haven for large numbers of birds. Due to its proximity to the widening Sahel , there have been concerns that the Macina may be getting less rain every year. In the early 19th century, Seku Amadu founded a Massina Empire in the region, building a capital at Hamdullahi in 1820. The Massina fell to El Hadj Umar Tall 's Toucouleur Empire in 1862, who in turn fell to

1081-640: The Sahara desert, has climatic conditions which are reported to be a transitional zone of humid Guinean climate in the south to a dry climate at border with the Sahara. The rainy season in the south lasts from July to October, with an average annual rainfall of 750 mm (30 in). However, the rainy season in the north lasts from July to September, with an average annual precipitation recorded at 250 mm (9.8 in). Temperatures vary with strong seasonal emphasis. The average maximum temperature recorded in May at Tombouctou

1128-470: The area by the human population. Mammals remaining include the African manatee , known as the sea cow which lives in the rivers and feeds on underwater plants. And the rivers are rich in fish including two endemics; the Mochokidae catfish Synodontis gobroni and a cichlid , Gobiocichla wonderi . The construction of a large irrigation project upstream of the Inner Niger Delta threatens its ecology and

1175-452: The availability of water, thus giving patches more often or longer subject to flooding a denser and more tree-like vegetation cover. As said, flooding cycles follow the precipitation cycle. The vegetation cycle in its turn follows the flooding cycle with a certain delay: it takes days for grasses to germinate after flooding, but months before trees die of a lack of water when floodwater has once again receded. When classifying vegetation in

1222-513: The city, as the supply lines were long compared to the closer kingdoms vying for dominance of the region. Furthermore, the Moroccans did not establish a proper means of which to govern Timbuktu, and their other holdings along the Niger bend. Ultimately, however, it was the rise of sea trade along the West Africa coast that doomed the overland routes that connected North Africa to sub-Saharan Africa . The city lost its economic base and its fine university

1269-429: The creation of the lake is 1.5 m (5 ft) per 160 km (100 mi). The lake is divided by a barrier into two zones, the upper and the lower. The barrier extends several kilometres southwards. Beyond the barrier, the lake is narrow and long and its outreach is not visible. The Bara Lisa River joins the Niger above Dire . It exits the deltas from the northern shores of Lake Debo and flows east. The Issa Baris ,

1316-499: The delta area are not flooded until early to mid-October. The consequence is that parts of the delta are flooded while the dry season is well under way. Note that only the lowest patches are flooded annually: higher elevations receive flooding in more intermittent periods due to the changing degrees of waterlevel rises. This division in roughly three zones (flooded, periodically flooded and not-periodically flooded), makes for patches that vary in their nature according to their proximity to

1363-447: The edges of the watercourses, are heavily grazed. Plants include the beardgrass Andropogon gayanus , dūrvā grass Cynodon dactylon , and the thatching grass Hyparrhenia dissoluta . Along the many watercourses, Mimosa asperata and Salix chevalieri grow above a Cyperus maculatus understory. Northern Delta Characterized by emergent sand ridges which sustain the palm trees Hyphaene thebaica and Borassus aethiopum ,

1410-472: The flooded forest savannah with aquatic herbaceous and two dominant species of acacia . These pastures are known locally as bourgou grass. Palms like Hyphaene thebaica , and Borassus aethiopum are also reported on the fringes of the lake. There are three types of pasture lands, defined on the basis of its management. These are: Resident Fulani's pastures which are controlled by the Amiro (the chief Joro);

1457-444: The forested areas surrounding the lake and the delta, which are home for many water birds. Algal blooms are also reported from the lake which could result in reduction of the water transparency. The West African manatee is the most prominent fauna species in the lake which is reported as its last habitat in the world. Hippos are also reported from the lake (the hippo population is estimated at 40 to 60 individuals). Nile crocodile

Lake Débo - Misplaced Pages Continue

1504-478: The gum arabic tree Acacia nilotica , Guarea senegalensis , Mimosa asperata and Ziziphus mauritiana . The delta is home to birds in large numbers including hundreds of thousands of wintering garganeys , pintails and ruffs and breeding colonies of cormorant , heron , spoonbill , ibis and other waterbirds including the endangered West African subspecies of black crowned crane ( Balearica pavonina pavonina ). Most large mammals have been removed from

1551-477: The lake is the largest in the delta. It is integral to the wide river channel with its size fluctuating with variation of the water level in the lake. It also provides confirmation of the nature of blocked water and also includes the Erg of Bara region. The maximum flood in the lake and the delta occurs during November and December. Below Lake Debo, the Niger valley is marked by a large number of lakes, which are lower than

1598-464: The lake is thus moderated to only 2,400 km/s (35,000 cu mi/min) when it reaches Niamey , the capital city of Niger. Since 1962, even a 1,000 km/s (14,000 cu mi/min) extra flow from the lake could now cause increase of water level in the Niamey area by 2 m (6 ft 7 in), rising to the level 181.51 metres (595 ft 6 in). The lake in the Sahel , just south of

1645-594: The livelihoods of its inhabitants. The 100,000 ha project is an extension to the area irrigated by the Office du Niger through the Malibya canal. The extension, which was under construction in 2010, is financed by the Libya Africa Investment Portfolio which will also have the right to exploit the irrigated land. According to James Leten, a researcher, the project will reduce the area under deep inundation in

1692-474: The low-level delta area, with the water rise determined by the amount of rain fallen upstream. This in turn, is influenced by the northward movement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone . A delay exists between the peak amount of precipitation and the maximum water level in the inland delta area. While the wet season lasts three months from July till September, the western and southern edges of

1739-466: The main arm of the lake, exits from the lake in a westerly direction and turns northeast to join the Bara Lisa. Geological formations recorded at the bed of the lake are "from dense crystalline rock of Precambrian sandstone compacted in the broad Taoudeni Syncline as an alluvial fan and covered by a hard layer of cemented- laterite ." The flat slopes and geology of the beds has resulted in creating

1786-459: The only feature depicted on more maps was the Nile . The lake has been known variously as Nigrite Palus, Lake Sigisma, Lake Guber, Lake Guarda, Bog/Morais of Guarda, Lake Maberia, Bahar Seafeena, Lake Dibbie, but it is now known as Lake Débo. The Niger River is assessed as a young river of 2000 years age and is yet to stabilize. However, the natural channels have undergone many meandering changes. The lake

1833-401: The people of Mali. Low water levels in the rivers, lack of rain, increasing human population and a break-up of the traditional tribal arrangements for sharing the resources of the delta are all factors that may contribute to severely damaging the ecosystem. In particular fishing is less regulated (in the past only two tribes were permitted to fish) and fish stocks in the rivers are declining. In

1880-453: The rare black crowned crane are dwindling. A sea side feeling is felt around the lake and the delta, as the air is filled with the sounds of water birds and gulls . As the lake is an important stopping place for migratory birds , UNESCO has classified it as a Ramsar zone under the title whole of Lake Walado Débo , which is part of the inner delta with 350 species of birds, including 118 migratory species. The Synodontis gobroni and

1927-446: The researcher tried to alert the authorities about the need to find alternative livelihoods for the pastoralists, apparently without success. Three Ramsar sites , a total of 1,620 km have been declared in the delta; Lac Horo , Lac Debo , and the Séri floodplain. But the delta is largely unprotected and at the same time fishing and farming in the delta is vital to the livelihoods of

Lake Débo - Misplaced Pages Continue

1974-595: The river level. As part of the central delta, the lake is the largest. As it is a part of the Niger River, its size varies with the fluctuation in the water level. and maximum flood occurs in the river during November and December. The lake has a vast expanse of water extending on all sides. The river that is formed at the outlet of the lake has a width of 10 km (6 mi) for a length of 10 km (6 mi) downstream, where after it narrows down, gets spilled into many channels; marshy islands are formed and depth of water

2021-514: The seasonal transhumance migration along with their herds from the north. Inner Niger Delta The Inner Niger Delta , also known as the Macina or Masina , is the inland river delta of the Niger River . It is an area of fluvial wetlands, lakes and floodplains in the semi-arid Sahel area of central Mali , just south of the Sahara Desert . The delta consists of the middle course of

2068-543: The southern end, and 240 km (150 mi) from Timbuktu at its downstream, on the north-eastern end. It is the largest of many such seasonal wetlands and lakes which form the Inner Niger Delta , and the largest lake within Mali. Its size is largely reduced during the dry season of September to March. The inundated Lake Débo and Walado Débo (Inner Niger Delta in Mali) form the pasture lands which are collectively known as

2115-436: The trans-Sahara trading economy and people in the city. In early 2012, the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad and other militant groups opposed to the government of Mali swept through the region, entering Timbuktu without a fight after making a deal with local Arab militias. On 6 April 2012, the region was declared independent from Mali as part of the new country of Azawad . However, Mali refused to acknowledge

2162-533: The year the area has a hot and dry climate, with hot winds from the nearby Sahara raising the temperature up to 40 °C or 104 °F. During the wet season, which generally lasts from June to September but is longer the further south one goes, the swamp floods into a lake and naturally irrigates the land. When the dry season comes, the Macina turns into a network of lakes and channels. Cattle , pearl millet , and rice are its important agricultural products. The Macina inland delta also provides water and fish for

2209-411: Was not enough to save Timbuktu from decline. Cut off from major trade routes, the city retained an aura of spectacular treasure. When French explorers rediscovered the city in 1815, they were disappointed to find a sand-blown city of low mud buildings. The region was marginalized under French colonial control, which ended in 1960. The French opened up shorter trade routes to the Atlantic, cutting into

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