Kathita River

Last updated

The Kathita River is a river in eastern Kenya is the longest river in Meru. The river flows in a north-easterly direction from a source high on Mount Kenya around Ithangune and Rutundu hills from where it flows easterly through thick equatorial rainforests towards Meru Town, and in a southeasterly direction into River Tana. It is the northernmost of the Mt. Kenya tributaries of the Tana River.

Contents

Geography

Unlike many other rivers tracing their source on the Kenyan moor land, the Kathita River is unique as it is formed by the melting glaciers on the peaks of Mount Kenya. Hence the reason why its water is very cold at all seasons, even the piped water from this river is this distinct in this attribute of being cold. The Kathita follows a meandering course skirting through the small village towns of Kithaku, Katheri, Kaing'inyo, Gitimbene and finally cuts through the heart of the Meru Town Meru. Kathita river has got a unique attribute in that its watercourse runs through deep gorges, due to this engineering works for water irrigation projects on Kathita river is very costly.Nevertheless, local residents, through community Self Help projects, have always found ways to draw water for domestic use and irrigation Examples include the Nduruma Water Project in Kianthumbi village that was initiated by Mr Japhet MÍkiara and completed in 1997 with the financial contribution and active participation of fellow Kianthumbi residents. An extended project, the Gakumbo project that serves a larger population, was made possible with a grant from the Australian government. In the olden days the Ameru had unique log bridges which were used to cross the Kathita river along its deep gorged course. Many of those log bridges are still in operation. Some community Groups, like that at Kianthumbi village,however, have managed to upgrade them to modern standards of cement and steel structures so as to enhance safety and access across the deep gorge.

Cultural significance

It is the largest river in the Imenti region of Meru County and the site of Meru people rites and rituals, including the initiation of boys into adulthood. Between 2008 and 2010, the community participated in the development of a micro-hydro generator on a portion of the river. [1]

Related Research Articles

Mount Kenya Highest mountain in Kenya

Mount Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second-highest in Africa, after Kilimanjaro. The highest peaks of the mountain are Batian, Nelion and Point Lenana. Mount Kenya is located in the former Eastern and Central provinces of Kenya, now Meru, Embu, Laikipia, Kirinyaga, Nyeri and Tharaka Nithi counties, about 16.5 kilometres south of the equator, around 150 km (90 mi) north-northeast of the capital Nairobi. Mount Kenya is the source of the name of the Republic of Kenya.

Clutha River River in the South Island of New Zealand

The Clutha River, officially Clutha / Mata-Au, is the second longest river in New Zealand and the longest in the South Island. It flows south-southeast 338 kilometres (210 mi) through Central and South Otago from Lake Wānaka in the Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana to the Pacific Ocean, 75 kilometres (47 mi) south west of Dunedin. It is the highest volume river in New Zealand, and the swiftest, with a catchment of 21,960 square kilometres (8,480 sq mi), discharging a mean flow of 614 cubic metres per second (21,700 cu ft/s). The Clutha River is known for its scenery, gold-rush history, and swift turquoise waters. A river conservation group, the Clutha Mata-Au River Parkway Group, is working to establish a regional river parkway, with a trail, along the entire river corridor.

Meru, Kenya City in Meru County, Kenya

Meru is a city in eastern Kenya. It is the headquarters of the Meru County, and the sixth largest urban centre in the country. Meru forms a municipal council with a population of 240,900 residents.

Waimakariri River

The Waimakariri River is one of the largest rivers in Canterbury, on the eastern coast of New Zealand's South Island. It flows for 151 kilometres (94 mi) in a generally southeastward direction from the Southern Alps across the Canterbury Plains to the Pacific Ocean.

Tana River (Kenya)

The ca. 1000 km long Tana River is the longest river in Kenya, and gives its name to the Tana River County. Its catchment covers ca. 100,000 km² and can be divided into the headwaters and the lower Tana consisting of the section downstream of Kora where the river flows for ca. 700 km through semi-arid plains. Its tributaries include the Thika, Ragati River from Mt.Kenya as well as several smaller rivers that flow only during the rainy season. The river rises in the Aberdare Mountains to the west of Nyeri. Initially it runs east before turning south around the massif of Mount Kenya. A series of hydroelectric dams has been constructed along the river. These include the Masinga Dam, the Kamburu Dam, the Gitaru Dam, the Kindaruma Dam and the Kiambere Dam .en The Masinga Reservoir and the Kiambere Reservoir, created by the Masinga and Kiambere dams respectively, serve a dual purpose: hydro-electric power (HEP) generation and agricultural irrigation. The other three are used exclusively for HEP generation. A 2003 study reported that two-thirds of Kenya's electrical needs were supplied by the series of dams along the Tana River. Many people believe this river has groundwater underneath it, but it doesn't. The electricity is then supplied to the national grid system and distributed countrywide through a series of substations, transformers and cables.

Hrazdan (river)

The Hrazdan is a major river and the second largest in Armenia. It originates at the northwest extremity of Lake Sevan and flows south through the Kotayk Province and Armenia's capital, Yerevan; the lake in turn is fed by several streams. In the Ararat plain it joins the Aras River along the border with Turkey. A series of hydro-electric plants have been constructed on the river. Its waters are in demand to irrigate crops.

Meru people Kenyan ethnic group

The Meru or Amîîrú are a Bantu ethnic group that inhabit the Meru region of Kenya on the fertile lands of north and eastern slopes of Mount Kenya, in the former Eastern Province of Kenya. The name "Meru" refers to both the people and the region, which for many years was the only administrative unit. In 1992, the Greater Meru was divided into three administrative units: Meru Central, Nyambene, and Tharaka-Nithi. After the promulgation of a new constitution in Kenya on 27 August 2010, the Greater Meru was further re-defined and now consists of the twin counties of Tharaka-Nithi and Meru. The Greater Meru covered approximately 13,000 km2 (5,000 sq mi), stretching from the Thuci river, on the border with Embu County in the south, to the border with Isiolo County in the north.

Mlava

The Mlava is a river in Serbia, 158 km long right tributary of the Danube.

Studenica (river)

The Studenica is a river in southwestern Serbia, a 60 km-long left tributary to the Ibar river.

River Nidd River in North Yorkshire, England

The River Nidd is a tributary of the River Ouse in the English county of North Yorkshire. In its first few miles it is dammed three times to create Angram Reservoir, Scar House Reservoir and Gouthwaite Reservoir, which attract a total of around 150,000 visitors a year. The Nidd can overflow the reservoirs, flooding the caves in the valley. In such cases the river overflows into the normally dry river bed past Lofthouse through to Gouthwaite Reservoir. The Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust YDRT has a remit to conserve the ecological condition of the River Nidd from its headwaters to the Humber estuary.

Embu County County in Kenya

Embu County is a county of Kenya. The capital of Embu County and the former Eastern province headquarters, Embu is a large and largely metropolitan area with a population of 608,599 persons. The county borders Kirinyaga to the west, Kitui to the east, Tharaka Nithi to the north, Machakos to the south. The county occupies an area of 2,821 km2.

Shimsha

Shimsha is a river that flows in the state of Karnataka, India. It is one of the tributaries of the river Kaveri, which is one of the major rivers of South India. The river originates in Tiptur taluk Tumkur district of Karnataka and flows for about 221 km (137 mi). before joining the river Kaveri.

Tumut River

The Tumut River, a perennial stream that is part of the Murrumbidgee catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the Snowy Mountains and South West Slopes districts of New South Wales, Australia.

Nkubu is a town in Kenya. It is located on the eastern slopes of Mount Kenya, within Meru County. It falls in one of the most-fertile and best-watered parts of Africa, with tea, coffee and dairy farming as the main economic activities in the area. It is also the lead town in South Imenti Constituency.

Drina

The Drina is a 346 km (215 mi) long international river, which forms a large portion of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River and the longest karst river in the Dinaric Alps which belongs to the Danube river watershed. Its name is derived from the Roman name of the river which in turn is derived from Greek.

Dawa River

The Dawa River is found in East Africa, covering an area of, 58,961km2. It flows through three major countries: Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia, with 81% falling into Ethiopian territory. It is known for its complex geological environment, evident through its diverse lithology and structural framework, coming from the river’s closeness to multiple volcanic-tectonic events. The wide river has gentle slopes either side of its exposed bedrock. The Dawa river flows south east to form part of the Ethiopia - Somalia border and part of Ethiopia - Kenya border. Awata, Digati, and Mormora are the only significant off-flowing rivers to Dawa.

Panchganga River

The Panchganga River is one of the important rivers of India located in Maharashtra. In English, the name translates as "Five Rivers". It is a major tributary of Krishna River, with which it joins at Narsobawadi.

Course of the Colorado River

The Colorado River is a major river of the western United States and northwest Mexico in North America. Its headwaters are in the Rocky Mountains where La Poudre Pass Lake is its source. Located in north central Colorado it flows southwest through the Colorado Plateau country of western Colorado, southeastern Utah and northwestern Arizona where it flows through the Grand Canyon. It turns south near Las Vegas, Nevada, forming the Arizona–Nevada border in Lake Mead and the Arizona–California border a few miles below Davis Dam between Laughlin, Nevada and Needles, California before entering Mexico in the Colorado Desert. Most of its waters are diverted into the Imperial Valley of Southern California. In Mexico its course forms the boundary between Sonora and Baja California before entering the Gulf of California. This article describes most of the major features along the river.

Kopili River

Kopili River is an interstate river in Northeast India that flows through the states of Meghalaya and Assam and is the largest south bank tributary of the Brahmaputra in Assam.

References