<< Click to Display Table of Contents >> Navigation:  Finance and Economic Planning > CIDP II > County Overview > Position and Size > Ecological conditions

The county is home to two forest ecosystems and water towers namely Kaptagat and Cherangany and hosts the second largest forest cover in Kenya of 37.6%. These ecosystems are a source of many rivers that form the main water divide running along the Escarpment. East of the water divide is the Kerio catchment area which drains into Lake Turkana while West of the divide is the Lake Victoria Basin which drains into Lake Victoria. Lake Victoria Basin includes the following rivers: Moiben, Chepkaitit and Sabor. The Kerio catchment area includes River Kerrer and Kerio River. The other major rivers in the county are Torok, Chesegon, Embobut, Embomon, Arror, Mong and Kimwarer. The rivers feeding Kerio River have a high potential for supporting irrigation activities and for generation of Hydro-electric power. Another ecological zone is the Kerio Valley. It is narrow, averaging 6.4 km in width and stretches about 150 km in a North-South direction while