Molopo River
Molopo River | |
---|---|
North West Province, South Africa | |
• coordinates | 25°53′19″S 26°1′37″E / 25.88861°S 26.02694°E |
Northern Cape Province | |
• coordinates | 28°31′02″S 20°12′46″E / 28.51722°S 20.21278°E |
• elevation | 480 m (1,570 ft) |
Length | 970 km (600 mi) |
Basin size | 367,201 km2 (141,777 sq mi) |
The Molopo River (
Course
Its source is in the Molopo Oog (Eye of Molopo in Afrikaans), and the river generally flows first to the west, and then to the southwest from its source. In its middle course the Molopo River forms a significant section of the border between Botswana and South Africa.
River flow is intermittent and when it flows, its water flows very slowly owing to a gradient of only 0.76 m/km. Floods are rare because the vast
Tributary
The main tributary of the Molopo is the Nossob, whose confluence is some 50 km south of Twee Rivieren, at 890 metres or 2,920 feet above sea level. Other tributaries are:[3]
Dams
The upper Molopo is part of the Crocodile (West) and Marico Water Management Area and the lower is included in the Lower Vaal Water Management Area. Major dams in the river are the Setumo Dam and the Disaneng Dam, both located near the city of Mafikeng, South Africa, which lies on the banks of the river.
See also
- List of rivers of South Africa
- List of dams and reservoirs in South Africa
References
- ^ "Review of the Molopo-Nossob Basin for Rural Communities including Assessment of National Databases at the Sub-basin Level for Possible Future Integration". Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
- ^ Key rivers of South Africa Archived 2012-07-10 at archive.today
- ^ Molopo Tributaries Archived 2013-11-02 at the Wayback Machine