Chinit River
Chinit River Stung Chinit, Stoeng Chinith | |
---|---|
Kampong Thom Province, Cambodia | |
• coordinates | 12°31′38″N 104°27′31″E / 12.52722°N 104.45861°E |
• elevation | 1,647 ft (502 m) |
Tonlé Sap River | |
• coordinates | 13°32.25′N 105°47.55′E / 13.53750°N 105.79250°E |
• elevation | 16 ft (4.9 m) |
Length | 164 mi (264 km) |
Basin size | 1,739 sq mi (4,500 km2) |
Discharge | |
• location | Kampong Thmar |
Basin features | |
River system | Tonlé Sap |
Tributaries | |
• right | Stung Tang Krasaing |
Chinit River (alternates: Stung Chinit or Stoeng Chinith;
Geography
Chinit River, also called Stung Chinit River, is major tributary of the Tonlé Sap River, which flows down from the great lake of the same name from the northeast direction at 12°31′38″N 104°27′31″E / 12.52722°N 104.45861°E, in central Cambodia. It reenters the Tonlé Sap system in the river at 13°32′N 105°47′E / 13.533°N 105.783°E. The river's length is approximately 264 kilometres (164 mi) and loops out and into the Tonlé Sap system.[6] Its width varies in the range of 60–90 metres (200–300 ft) over a total river stretch of 110 kilometres (68 mi).
The river drains a catchment area of 5,649 km2 (2,181 sq mi) including the catchment of 1,145 km2 (442 sq mi) of its tributary, the Stung Tang Krasaing, up to its outflow into Tonlé Sap Lake.[6] The river passes through the Bolaven Plateau of Laos, reaches its highest elevation point, 288 metres (945 ft), at Phumi Chrach,[1] and ends at its outflow point on Tonlé Sap Lake at an elevation of 5 metres (16 ft).There are gentler slopes noted towards the downstream.[3] Its main lake is Bung Real Lake.[1]
The main city along the river is Santuk District Capital.[1] Samrong Sen, a prehistoric archaeological site of Neolithic Age is located on its right bank.[7]
Climate
According to the data sourced to the
Water resources
Based on flow measurements carried out at the Chinit River's Kampong Thmar station, where the catchment area measured is 4,130 square kilometres (1,590 sq mi), the maximum and minimum flows recorded are 329 cubic metres per second (11,600 cu ft/s) and 3.34 cubic metres per second (118 cu ft/s) respectively with an average flow rate of 44.1 cubic metres per second (1,560 cu ft/s).[9]
1971 public works project
A multipurpose project envisaging benefits of irrigation, flood control, fisheries and hydro power generation was planned in 1971 to cover a command area of 48,000 hectares (120,000 acres). At Phnom Takho, the river drains a catchment area of 3,770 square kilometres (1,460 sq mi), using storage of 458 million cubic metres (371,000 acre⋅ft) (gross capacity 500 million cubic metres and effective capacity of 391 million cubic metres). The dam planned at Phnom Takho was to provide irrigation benefits with canal systems planned on both banks of the river, and also for power generation. A pumping station was also planned at Kampong Thmar to provide irrigation for an area of 7,600 hectares (19,000 acres). Power generation envisaged was 4.5 MW using a net head of 16.3 metres (53 ft) and effective storage of 391 million cubic metres for the purpose for rural electrification supply and lift irrigation. The project was also anticipated to bring in changes in the fish production both upstream and downstream of the dam location.[10]
The project was to cover the districts of Santuk and Baray in the Kampong Thom Province. It was partially implemented between the 1970s and the 1980s, with the main diversion structure and the main canal with head regulators built during the
2003 public works project
Consequent to this, a fresh start was made by launching The Stung Chinit Irrigation and Rural Infrastructure Project (SCIRIP), with technical and financial inputs of US$ 23.8 million equivalent from the Government of the
The project, launched in 2003, was implemented over a six-year period. It included improvements to the drainage infrastructure, 150 kilometres (93 mi) of rural roads, six markets, and extension services. Stakeholder participation occurred through Water User groups.[5][12] By 2007, three communes and 24 villages in one district had benefited from the public works project.[13] According to a 2008 ADB report, "The resettlement plan included three phases to cover the irrigation/drainage canal infrastructure, the reservoir area and the Otchork tributary area. All phases have been satisfactorily implemented but some longer-term income restoration activities are still ongoing and require post-project monitoring".[14]
Inland navigation is practiced to a very limited extent due to shallow draft. Fishing and community boats are plied by villagers who reside on the banks of the river, for fishing and to transport goods to the markets.[15]
Land use
The Chinit River basin land use distribution is 75.5% under forest cover, 14.8% under paddy cultivation and the balance area is under other agricultural uses.
Aquafauna
The Chinit River has been a subject of studies on fish migration. Movement of fish has been studied on Chinit and also on other rivers in the Mekong through sampling techniques carried out in 20-to-50-kilometre (12 to 31 mi) stretches upstream of the flooded areas, to identify larval and fry fish in five tributaries. Seventy-one species belonging to 17 families have been recorded in the Chinit River. It was also noted during these studies that the species recorded were distinctive for each tributary but the fish fauna found in Chinit and Stung tributaries were identical.[18]
References
- ^ a b c d e Kyoto (1997), pp. 23–31
- ISSN 1824-2707. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
- ^ a b Water Environment Partnership in Asia. "State of Water: Cambodia". Ministry of the Environment of Japan. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
- ISBN 978-4-431-46500-3. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
- ^ a b c "Around The World: Cambodia" (PDF). News and views, Volume 33. International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, British section. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 July 2004. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
- ^ a b Kyoto (1997), p. 25
- ISBN 978-0-521-27525-5. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
- ^ a b Kyoto (1997), p. 27
- ^ Kyoto (1997), p. 28
- ^ Kyoto (1997), p. 30
- ^ "Around The World: Cambodia" (PDF). News and views, Volume 33. International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, British section. pp. 6–8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 July 2004. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
- ^ Inter-ministerial Resettlement Committee; Ministry of Water Resource and Meteorology (April 2008). "Resettlement Planning Document Resettlement Plan Phase III (Ochork Tributary) Document Stage: Final Project Number: 29257 and CAM: Stung Chinit Irrigation and Rural Infrastructure Project (Loan No. 1753-CAM [SF])" (PDF). Asian Development Bank.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Try, Thuon (January 24, 2007). "Localizing Development and Irrigation Management System in Cambodia:Case Studies in Kamping Puoy, Sdau Kaong, and Stung Chinit Stung Chinit (SCIRIP) in Kg. Thom Province" (PDF). RCSD International Conference. Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development Faculty of Social Sciences,Chiang Mai University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 August 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
- ^ "Stung Chinit Irrigation and Rural Infrastructure Project, Cambodia, No. 29257- 01". Asian Development Bank. 2008. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
- ^ Songhak (31 January 2010). "The Mekong River System (Basin) in Cambodia". Ministry of Public Works and Transport – Cambodia Inland Waterway Navigation. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
- ^ Kyoto (1997), p. 23
- ^ Kyoto (1997), p. 31
- ^ Thach, Phanara; Chea, Tharith; Hortle, Kent G. (15 November 2005). "Drift of fish fry and larvae in five large tributaries of the Tonle Sap-Great Lake system in Cambodia" (PDF). Proceedings of 7th Technical Symposium on Mekong Fisheries, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand. Mekong River Commission and Inland Fisheries Research and Development Institute Department of Fisheries. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
Bibliography
- Kyoto University (1997). "Stung Chinit" (PDF). River Catalogue, Cambodia, Vol. 2. Japan. pp. 23–31. Retrieved 19 January 2011.