Umgeni River
Umgeni River uMngeni (in Zulu) | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | South Africa |
Region | KwaZulu-Natal |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | Drakensberg |
• elevation | 1,825 m (5,988 ft) |
Mouth | Indian Ocean |
• location | Durban, South Africa |
• coordinates | 29°48′36″S 31°02′08″E / 29.81000°S 31.03556°E |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
Length | 232 km (144 mi) |
Basin size | 4,432 km2 (1,711 sq mi) |
Basin features | |
Tributaries | |
• left | Msunduzi River |
The Umgeni River or Mgeni River (
The river is approximately 232 kilometres (144 mi) long with a catchment area of 4,432 square kilometres (1,711 sq mi). The Howick Falls are some famous waterfalls on the Mngeni.
Tributaries
A noteworthy tributary is the Msunduzi River, which joins it between Nagle and Inanda dams. Higher up its course, the Msunduzi (or 'Dusi' for short) passes through the KwaZulu-Natal capital Pietermaritzburg. A famous downriver race, the Dusi Canoe Marathon takes place between the capital and Durban, attracting thousands of canoeists for the three-day event held every year January.
A small tributary that has an impact exceeding its size and length is the Lions River which joins the Umgeni about 4 kilometers upstream of Midmar Dam (near Lidgetton). Its significance lies in the fact that it is a part of a water transfer scheme between the Mooi River (Spring Grove Dam) and the Umgeni.
A smaller tributary close to its mouth is the 26-kilometre-long (16 mi) Palmiet River, which should not be confused with the Palmiet River in the Western Cape.[3]
Dams
Presently the Umgeni is part of the Mvoti to Umzimkulu Water Management Area.[4] There are four large dams in its catchment basin:
Ecology
The
History
It is assumed that
130 years later the Umgeni was crossed by Nathaniel Isaacs on his way to visit Shaka.[1] At some point before October 1825, settlers and natives led by Francis Farewell began construction of Fort Farewell between the uMngeni River and Port Natal.[7]
See also
- Umgeni River Bird Park
- List of rivers of South Africa
- List of reservoirs and dams in South Africa
References
- ^ ISBN 0-624-00273-X.
- ISBN 1-86842-190-2.
- ^ Palmiet Nature Reserve Flooding
- ^ Mvoti to Umzimkulu WMA 11
- ^ "Technical Report on the State of Yellowfishes in South Africa 2007" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-06-29. Retrieved 2012-03-29.
- S2CID 25955776.
- ^ Isaacs, Nathaniel (1836). Travels and adventures in eastern Africa. London: Edward Churton. pp. 30–33.
- Peters, Janice (1973). Proceedings of the first International Conference on Ephomeroptera. Brill Archive. p. 90. ISBN 978-90-04-03590-4.
External links
- Media related to Umgeni River at Wikimedia Commons