Lake Sélingué

Lake Sélingué

Fishermen casting nets on Lake Sélingué
Location Koulikoro Region
Coordinates 11°37′N 8°14′W / 11.617°N 8.233°WCoordinates: 11°37′N 8°14′W / 11.617°N 8.233°W
Type Monomictic reservoir
Basin countries Mali, Guinea
Surface area 409 km² (max)
Average depth 5.3 m
Max. depth 20 m
Water volume 2166 km³
Surface elevation 348.5 m - 339.983 m
Settlements La Carrière, Faraba

Lake Sélingué is a 409 km² artificial lake in Mali's Koulikoro Region, formed by the Sélingué Hydroelectric dam on the Sankarani River. Its southwestern arm forms part of the border with Guinea. Lake Sélingué, rising and falling in the rainy and dry seasons, allows agriculture on the irrigated perimeters, managed by the Office of Rural Development of Sélingué, as well as fishing. Since its creation, numerous communities have grown along the lake, the two largest being the towns of La Carrière and Faraba. Fishing the lake provides employment for more than 8,000 people in its various fishing communities, with an annual catch of around 4,000 tonnes. Most fish available in Bamako come from Lake Selingue.[1]

Lake Sélingué seen from space.

Selingue is Mali's second largest artificial lake (reservoir) after Lake Manantali, created by the construction of the Manantali dam in 1988.

References

  1. ↑ Knaap, M. van der. Status of fish stocks and fisheries of thirteen medium-sized African reservoirs. CIFA Technical Paper. No. 26. Rome, FAO. 1994. 107p.