Earth from Space - Image Description

STS029-085-039 Lagdo Reservoir, Cameroon March 1989
Lagdo Reservoir is one of several recently constructed reservoirs in northern Cameroon. The reservoir is located on the Bénoué River between the city of Garoua to the northwest and Bénoué National Park to the south. The Bénoué flows generally westward into east-central Nigeria's Benue River, a major tributary of the Niger River. Like many other reservoirs that have been constructed in semiarid, steppe grasslands, Lagdo provides water for irrigation and flood control, but a substantial quantity of water is lost through evaporation. The dam is located at the northwest corner of the reservoir. Siltation--always a problem in this type of fragile environment--is intensified by many feeder streams on the periphery of the reservoir.

This service is provided by the International Space Station program and the JSC Earth Science & Remote Sensing Unit, ARES Division, Exploration Integration Science Directorate.