Lake Mweru Wantipa or
Mweru-wa-Ntipa meaning "muddy lake" (also called 'Mweru Marsh') is a
lake and
swamp system in the
Northern Province of
Zambia. It has been regarded in the past as something of mystery, displaying fluctuations in water level and
salinity which were not entirely explained by variation in rainfall levels; it has been known to dry out almost completely. This is compounded by its remoteness and it not receiving the same attention from geographers and geologists as its larger and more accessible neighbours,
Lake Tanganyika, 25 km east, and
Lake Mweru, 40 km west, with which its name is sometimes confused. Lake Mweru Wantipa is a
rift valley lake lying in a branch of the
East African Rift, running from the
Luapula River to Lake Tanganyika. There are some hot springs characteristics of a rift valley to the east. Its water is muddy in appearance, at times appearing reddish and 'slightly oily'. In the local dialect "wa ntipa" means "with mud", hence "Mweru Wantipa" distinguishes it from its bigger neighbour,
Lake Mweru, which has clearer water.