The shores
Trees and picnic lawns.
COSV — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Gyron mkwebo — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Gyron — Public domain · Tmasvaure — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Tmasvaure — CC BY-SA 4.0
Lake Chivero is a reservoir on the Manyame River southwest of Harare and the city's main water supply. It lies about 29 km in a straight line from the National Gallery in Harare, and city residents come here for picnics and fishing. The lake took two and a half years to build and opened to the public in 1952; it was formerly called Lake McIlwaine. Its dam wall is 400 metres long. The lake and its surroundings are protected as Lake Chivero Recreational Park, and on 3 January 2013 it was listed as a Ramsar wetland of international importance. Trees and lawns line the shores, small islands of floating plants dot the water, and a little island in the reservoir is called Remembrance Island. At the dam, a broad spillway carries water down in the rainy season. The lake holds tigerfish, bream and carp, and its water is also used for irrigation and commercial fishing. The lake makes a good day trip from Harare. Do not swim, follow the park's rules, and bring water and sunscreen.
Trees and picnic lawns.
Water pouring at the dam.
A small island in the lake.
Lake Chivero Recreational Park, southwest of Harare, Zimbabwe
It is not advised; the lake is a drinking-water reservoir.
Lake McIlwaine.