Flamingos, in particular, favor the area as a nesting site during the dry season, since moat-like channels and the harsh waters make an ideal fortification against predators. Flocks of birds often camp on its shores, and tilapia fish brave its briny waters. Located close to the Kenyan border, Lake Natron is fed by some springs that are rich in minerals, making the lake highly alkaline, reaching a pH of 9 to. Most animals (us too) can’t handle water as alkaline and salty as this, but Lake Natron is home to a few species which have adapted to withstand the harsh chemical conditions. As they multiply, the holoarchaea lend the water its red hue - the rainy seasons in the area runs from March to May and at the time Landsat passed over Lake Natron, the water level was particularly low and the salt ponds were very colorful. These conditions are ripe for holoarchaea, a class of microorganisms which thrives in salty environments. Image modified after NASA Earth Observatory. Minerals and salts released by this process, particularly sodium carbonate, push the waters of Lake Natron even higher beyond water’s neutral 7 point mark on the pH scale. Waterwise, Lake Natron is chiefly supplied by the Southern Ewaso Ng’iro River and mineral-rich hot springs that are powered by Ol Doinyo’s volcanism. Its products flow, fall, roll, and push through faults all the way to the lake, enriching it in alkaline salts and other material.

Lake natron ph level