Lake Piso, which is also known as Lake Pisu and Fisherman’s Lake is a saltwater lake that has an open connection to the Atlantic Ocean, thus making it an oblong tidal lagoon, located in the southern part of the Grand Cape Mount County within the Republic of Liberia.
The nearest town to Lake Piso is Robertsport which is located exactly at the confluence of the Atlantic Ocean and the lake itself. With a total area of 103 square km (40 square mi), it is the largest lake in the West African country that is fed not just from the Atlantic, but from Maffa, Moffe and Mawua rivers too.
The basin has gained international and national interest for the richness of its biodiversity, its diverse ecosystems and its natural beauty, which was designated as the first “wetland of international importance” under the Ramsar Convention (June 2003).
There is the humid forest, wetlands and coast, brackish lake and the dry land that comprise this unique ecosystem, which is rich in flora and fauna. In the past, the area served as an important military base for the Allied seaplanes during the Second World War, and also at least twice overflowed its banks.
The people living in the vicinity of the lake are the Vai, nevertheless, the importance to them is that they are dependent from the lake due to the fishing and also the high-quality diamonds that have been mined from the rivers that discharge into Lake Piso.
Even though the small country still struggles with the conflicts and epidemics that occurring all the time, there are not a lot of people who would like to visit it as tourists, so as soon as the situation improves, the Government of Liberia can start promoting the area as one of a kind African scenery.
