| dc.description.abstract | The occurrence and spread of the water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes [Mart.] Solms), in the 
Winam gulf has created numerous attributes to the human population that live around the 
lake, thereby making its control a priority. Navigation within the lake is a major economic 
activity that has been greatly affected. Before this study, little was known about the 
characteristics of these weed carpets, and specifically the weight that a healthy inter-
connected or entangled carpet can support before it was able to sink or even get 
submerged. Can a light herbivore or human stranded in the lake walk on a healthy carpet to 
safety?. In order to better understand these unknown, a study was initiated at five locations 
(ie; Dunga beach, Kisumu pier, Kusa, Kobala and Kendu bay) within the lake that appeared 
to contain healthy dense carpets. Carpet connectivity, mat buoyancy, distribution of mass … | en_US |