The Cahora Bassa lake is southern Africa's second-largest artificial lake, situated in the Tete Province in Mozambique. The name Cabora Bassa is also often seen, as this was used during the colonial period.
The Cahora Bassa dam is one of three major dams on the Zambezi river system, the others being Kariba and Itezhi-Tezhi. The dam begun to fill in December 1974 after construction was commenced in 1969. The lake has reached a maximum length and width of approximately 250 km and 38 km respectively, flooding an area of 2,700 km2 with an average depth of 26 m.
Since closure Zambezi, which is fourth largest floodplain river in Africa, has received a far more regulated flow rate. A considerable kapenta fishery has developed in the dam. The kapenta is assumed to origin from Lake Kariba where it was introduced from Lake Tanganyika. Annual catch of kapenta in the Cahora Bassa dam in 2003 exceeded 10 thousand tons.
The Cahora Bassa lake is southern Africa's second-largest artificial lake, situated in the Tete Province in Mozambique.
The Cahora Bassa Dam is one of the three major dams on the Zambezi river system, the others being Kariba and Itezhi-Tezhi.
It was operated by Hidroelectrica de Cahora Bassa and jointly owned by Mozambique, with an 18% equity stake, and Portugal, which held the remaining 82% equity.
The lower Zambezi's 650 km (400 miles) from Cahora Bassa to the Indian Ocean is navigable, although the river is shallow in many places during the dry season.
However, below Kariba and Cahora Bassa dams, the cessation of annual flooding has seen the area of this habitat greatly reduced and a corresponding reduction in the populations of the large mammals.
The drastic reduction in the flow of the river led to a 40% reduction in the coverage of mangroves, greatly increased erosion of the coastal region and a 60% reduction in the catch of prawns off the mouth due to the reduction in emplacement of silt and associate nutrients.
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