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APPENDIX 1
SUMMARY OF GEOGRAPHICAL, METEOROLOGICAL, HYDROLOGICAL, CHEMICAL, PHYSICAL AND OTHER DATA ON LAKE KOSSOU, IVORY COAST

(after Entz, 1984)

LAKE KOSSOU
Geography  
CountryIvory Coast 
Latitude7° – 8°N 
Longitude5°25' – 5°45'W 
Altitude m a.s.l.206FAO/UNDP, 1976
Vegetation-typeForest and Guinean savannahBalon and Coche, 1974
Meteorology  
Climate type (acc. to Köppen)Amw - Aw 
Ambient temp. range (°C)13.0 – 40.0Balon and Coche, 1974
Mean (ambient) values (°C) 26.3
21.1 – 31.3
Balon and Coche, 1974
Balon and Coche, 1974
Rainfall (mm yr-11 150 – 1 400
846
Balon and Coche, 1974
Kassoum, 1977
Rainfall (km3) (m3/sec)204
(64.6)
1.43
Balon and Coche, 1974
Balon and Coche, 1974
Kassoum, 1977
Gross evaporation (mm)1 500
1 017
Balon and Coche, 1974
Kassoum, 1977
Evaporation (km3)2.4
 .73
Balon and Coche, 1974
Kassoum, 1977
Humidity %  
hydrology  
Main riverWhite Bandama 
Other rivers  
Catchment area above dam (km2)33 000
32 400
Welcomme, 1972
Balon and Coche, 1974
Range of annual inflow (km3)1.7 – 10.5Bazigos, 1971
Range of annual inflow (m3/sec)5 – 525
55 – 334
Iltis and Levêque, 1982
Bazigos, 1971
Mean inflow (km3 yr-1)5.4
5.68
Bazigos, 1971
Ita, 1979
Max-min inflow (m3/sec)2 680 - 0
57 – 320
Bazigos, 1971
Ita, 1979
Mean inflow (m3/sec)171
179
Bazigos, 1971
Ita, 1979
Annual outflow range (km3) (m3/sec)  
Mean outflow (km3) (m3/sec)  
Max outflow (km3) (m3/sec)(2 300)
72.6
 
River flow ratio min:maxMin. flow = nil 1:5.6Ita, 1979
Outflow (yr-1): lake volume1:5.2
1:5
1:4.5
Balon and Coche, 1974
Marshall, 1984a
FAO/UNDP, 1976
River flood seasonSept - OctBalon and Coche, 1974
Suspended solids (mg/l)  
Displacement time (years)5 
Location of the damKossou 
Length of the dam1 500 m 
Volume of the dam (m3)5.35 × 106 
Dam closedFebruary 1971 
Hydro-electric power (installed in MW)175Bazigos, 1979
Working lake level reachedNot yet reached (1983) 
Main reasons for dam constructionProduction of hydro-electric power 
Dam impactsPower production during long drought endangered. Lake fisheries developed. Spread of water-borne diseases. Difficulties of resettlement. 
Start and termination of FAO projectMay 1971 - Sep 1975 
Purpose of the projectTo place the multiple-use of the new water resource on a sound scientific and technical base. 
Main objectivesFisheries, aquaculture 
Morphometry  
Length max (km)180
170
Balon and Coche, 1974
Welcomme, 1972
Length mean (km)  
Length min km)  
Width max (km)30Welcomme, 1972
Width mean (km)8.9 
Surface area max (km2)1 600
1 855
Welcomme, 1972
FAO/UNDP, 1976
Surface area mean (km2)1 625FAO/UNDP, 1976
Volume max (km3)29.5Balon and Coche, 1974
Volume mean (km3)  
Dead storage (km3)  
Depth max (m)60
54
35
Welcomme, 1972
Balon and Coche, 1974
Kassoum, 1977
Depth mean (m)14.3
18.4
Welcomme, 1972
Balon and Coche, 1974
Shoreline length (km)3 500Welcomme, 1972
Shoreline development247Marshall, 1984
Hydrology  
Water level max (m)206Balon and Coche, 1974
Water level mean (m)204Balon and Coche, 1974
Water level min (m)  
Annual water level fluctuation (m)3
2 – 3
Welcomme, 1972
Kassoum, 1977
Mean water level before dam (m)  
Water exchange ratio1:5
2
Balon and Coche, 1974
Sections of reservoirs with:  
Riverine conditions
  
Semi-riverine conditions
Northern part 
Lacustrine conditions
Southern part 
Water Physics  
Annual mean temp at surface (°C)28Kassoum, 1977
Mean temp of whole water column (°C)Apr-May 28.5 Jul-Aug 27.3
Sep-Oct 27.7 Dec-Jan 27.2
 
Surface temp range (°C)23.8 – 34.1Balon and Coche, 1974
Bottom temp range (°C)26 – 27Kassoum, 1977
Surface temp summer range or mean (°C)26 – 28Kassoum, 1977
Annual variation of surface temp (°C)Apr-May 30–32 Jul-Aug 27–28
Sep-Oct 29–30
Dec-Jan 26–27.5
 
Surface temp winter range or mean (°C)28 – 29Kassoum, 1977
Type of mixingWarm dimictic 
Period(s) of homothermyDec-Feb + Jul-SepBalon and Coche, 1974
Homothermic at (°C)27Balon and Coche, 1974
Periods of thermal stratificationMar-Jun; Oct-Nov
No strong stratification
Balon and Coche, 1974
Location of metalimnion (m)5 – 10Balon and Coche, 1974
Temperature of metalimnion (°C)27 
Depth of euphotic zone (m)3 – 6Kassoum, 1977
Secchi disc transparency (cm)20 – 300
10 – 300
155 (mean)
Kassoum, 1977
Balon and Coche, 1974
Transparency (annual cycle)Mar 160–200 cm
Jul 80–160 cm
Oct 120–210 cm
Dec 60–190 cm
Kassoum, 1977
Global radiationApprox. 400 cal/cm2/day 
Water chemistry  
pH6.8 – 9.0Balon and Coche, 1974
Conductivity range (μS cm-1)35 – 50 (river inflow)
36 – 128
90 – 200
35 – 95
FAO/UNDP, 1976
Balon and Coche, 1974
Marshall, 1984
FAO/UNDP, 1976
Conductivity mean (μS cm-1)Approx. 75 – 80
Surface 72
Bottom 108
Increasing from N to S
Marshall, 1984
Total dissolved solids (TDS)  
Morpho-edaphic Index (MEI)  
Suspended solids  
Dissolved O2 at surface (mg/l) range1 – 10
0.2 – 0.4 (Jul)
2 – 9
Balon and Coche, 1974
Iltis and Levêque, 1982
Kassoum, 1977
Dissolved O2 at bottomBelow 10 – 20 m; 0 mg/l
0 mg/l at stratification
Kassoum, 1977
FAO/UNDP, 1976
Surface dissolved O2 annual variation (mg/l)Apr-May 5–8
Jul-Aug 3–6
Sep-Oct 4–8
Dec-Jan 2–6
 
O2 present at homothermy (m)15 – 20 
O2 present during stratification (m)5 – 16 
H2S conditionsDecreasing in hypolimnion since 1973
0.1 – 0.5 mg/l on the bottom max 2.0 mg/l
FAO/UNDP, 1976
Kassoum, 1977
Kassoum, 1977
Oxygen stratificationOct-Nov and Mar-JunBalon and Coche, 1974
Typology of water (acc. to Maucha)Ca-Mg-HCO3 
Na (mg/l) (meq/l)4.6
5.8 – 6.4
Bandama 5 – 5.3
Marshall, 1984
K (mg/l) (meq/l)3.52
1.6 – 2.5
Bandama 2.3 – 2.5
Marshall, 1984
Ca (mg/l) (meq/l)11.22
4.4 – 5.0
Bandama 4.6 – 4.7
Marshall, 1984
Mg (mg/l) (meq/l)4.01
Bandama 2.0 – 2.2
 
Ca + Mg : Na + K1.87 
HCO3 (mg/l) (meq/l)57.96
24 – 36
18.6
Bandama Confluence 36 – 37
Kassoum, 1977
Marshall, 1984
Nicolas, 1972
CO3 (mg/l) (meq/l)
Cl (mg/l) (meq/l)2.13
1.0 – 35
Bandama 4.6
Marshall, 1984
SO4 (mg/l) (meq/l)9.12
0.2 – 1.0
Bandama 0 – 0.26
Marshall, 1984
P total (mg/l)  
PO4 (mg/l)0.2 – 0.8Iltis and Levêque, 1982
PO4-P (mg/l)(0.66)Kassoum, 1977
NO2 (mg/l)  
NO3 (mg/l)  
NO3-N (mg/l)(0.32)Kassoum, 1977
Mn (mg/l)1.6 
Fe (mg/l)1.4 
Cu (mg/l)0.4
Bandama 15.9 – 16.7
Iltis and Levêque, 1982
SiO2 (mg/l)  
NH3  
Salinity  
CaCO3 alkalinity (mg/l)  
Limnobiology  
Lake phase at presentFilling phase 
Trophic gradeOligotrophic 
Chlorophyll content8.4 – 41.3
23.8 (mean) mg/m2
Kassoum, 1977
Kassoum, 1977
Primary productionGross: 4.4 g O2/m2/day in wet season
10.0 g O2/m2/day in dry season
 
Phytoplankton (spp.)  
Periphyton (Aufwuchs)Important as fish food 
Dry weight of Aufwuchs and macrophytes  
Main floating weedsPistia stratiotes (only) 
Bush clearance95 hm2 = 6% 
Areas covered by floating weed mats  
Submerged vegetation  
Sudd vegetation  
Emerged vegetation  
Shore vegetation  
Production of macrophytes  
Organisms of the second  
Production level:  
Plankton
Rotifers diminish
Copepods increase
 
Benthos
  
Zoobiomass data
  
Fishes and fisheries  
Number of fish species known83FAO/UNDP, 1976
Most important species (max length in cm)First: Labeo coubie, Alestes
baremose later: tilapias
FAO/UNDP, 1976
Introduced species  
Herbivores  
Plankton feeders  
OmnivoresIncreasingFAO/UNDP, 1976
Invertebrate predatorsDecreasing (e.g. Clariidae) 
Fish predatorsDecreasing (but Lates nil. increase) 
ClupeidsPellonula afzeliusi (present) 
Changes in species or groups important for fisheries1974: tilapias; Chrysichthys, Distichodus, Labeo spp.; Lates; Alestes spp., Siluridae 1975: same spp. but proportion of tilapias increased from 35 to 40%; Labeo decreased from 15 to 7% 
Changes of species or groups in the yield (weight)  
Maximum expected yield13 500 t/yr
11 – 16 000 t
40 kg/ha/yr
Gaudet, 1979
FAO/UNDP, 1976
Welcomme, 1972
Possibilities for further yield increaseCage culture of Heterotis niloticus (already successful) 
Catch per unit effort1.4 – 6.0 g/m2/h
(max 10g/m2/h)
Pellonula 25 g/m2/h;
17 – 300 g/m2/day
 
Changes in CPUEHighest in the north
Decreasing: Confluence
→dam
 
Seasonal changes in the catch  
Total fish landings in tons1972: 5 680   1973: 4 905
1974: 7 355   1975: 8 000
FAO/UNDP, 1976
Mean distance between fish landing places3.18 kmFAO/UNDP, 1976
Landings of introduced speciesOreochromis niloticus
Heterotis niloticus
 
Landings of fish (kg/ha/yr)1972: 109   1973: 84
1974: 106
FAO/UNDP, 1976
Ichthyomass (kg/ha)  
Catch in tons/boat/year  
Catch in kgs/boat/day  
Catches on experimental basis  
Catch/fisherman/day  
Catch/fisherman/yr  
Number of fishermen1 370 – 3 120 ± 4 000
not more than 3/km2
FAO/UNDP, 1976
Types of boats  
Number of fishing boats± 2 000Welcomme, 1972
Main types of netsGillnets. Monofilament nets catch about twice as much as multifilament 
Useful mesh sizes10 – 60 mm 
Fresh fish/processed fish landings in different seasons  
Main diseases of the area and changes caused by floodingMalaria, polyomyelitis and schistosomiasis; danger of spreading of onchocerciasis and trypanosomiasisWaddy, 1973
Vector organisms  
Number of people resettledMany problems of resettlement 1 000 000Gaudet, 1979
Drawdown agriculture  
Areas with irrigation potential3 158 ha
253 000 ha
FAO/UNDP, 1976

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