As discussed above, the Mara River provides a
critical dry season source of water for much of the
Reserve’s wildlife, and is also vital for the survival of
the wildebeest migrations in their current form. Although
anecdotal evidence and modelling suggests that the
river’s flow has seriously declined, especially during the
dry season, at present there is no ongoing monitoring of key
river levels within the Reserve, and there are issues
of compatibility of monitoring data collected from
across the wider ecosystem. The WWF-supported project
“Transboundary Water in the Mara River
Basin”, which will run until 2011, aims to reduce threats
to biodiversity by improving water management in the Mara River
Basin, and includes measuring and assessing waterflow as part of
its key activities. MMNR management will support this project
through the establishment of water level monitoring
points at key points within the Reserve. Water levels will then be
monitored at these points, in line with the protocols specified by
the project, and the resulting information provided to the
project for collation and analysis.
