Lake Lagdo

The Lagdo dam was built on the Benoue river south-east of Garoua and completed in the early 1980s, creating a reservoir of several hundred square kilometres that supplies hydroelectric power and irrigation to the north of the country. The lake has become a major fishery, with villages along the shores and boats working it, and the fish are dried and traded across the region. Waterbirds gather in numbers, including pelicans, herons and storks, and hippopotamus occur in parts of it. The shoreline is largely undeveloped, the surrounding country is dry savanna, and boats can be hired at the villages for trips out onto the water.

History

The dam was built between August 1977 and July 1982 by Chinese engineers and workers with Cameroonian labourers, under the China International Water and Electric Corporation, to bring electricity to the north and irrigate 15,000 hectares downstream. It is 308 metres long and 40 metres high, and its reservoir, designed for 7.7 billion cubic metres, had silted down to 1.6 billion by 2021 (Wikipedia, Lagdo Reservoir).

Highlights

• A reservoir on the Benoue - the lake created by the dam.
• Fishing villages along the shore - the industry the lake supports.
• Pelicans, herons and storks - the waterbirds using the reservoir.
• Dry savanna around the water - the northern landscape at the edges.

When to go

November to March, the cool dry season; from March the heat is severe. A day from Garoua. Boats are hired at the shore villages.

Things to know

The lake is a working reservoir and fishery, not a resort; facilities are minimal. Water levels vary considerably through the year. Hippos are dangerous and boats should keep clear. The regional situation is worth verifying before any trip is planned.

Nearby

Garoua is north-west; Benoue national park lies south.

Key facts