Metsimotlhabe River

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Metsimotlhabe River
Location
CountryBotswana
Physical characteristics
Mouth  
  location
Notwane River

The Metsimotlhabe River is the largest river in the Kweneng District of Botswana, draining the area that lies to the south of Molepolole into the Notwane River, in turn a tributary of the Limpopo River. [1] The name "Metsimotlhabe" means "water sand river". [2]

Kweneng District District in Botswana

Kweneng is one of the districts of Botswana and is the recent historical homeland of the Bakwena people, the first group in Botswana converted to Christianity by famed missionary David Livingstone. Various landmarks, including Livingstone's Cave, allude to this history. The seat of the district's government is Molepolole, Botswana's most populous village.

Molepolole village in Kweneng District, Botswana

Molepolole is a village in Botswana. It lies in the south east of the country. The people who reside in Molepolole are the Bakwena, who are one of the eight major tribes in Botswana. The Bakwena chief was among the three chiefs who went to England to seek protection from the British in the colonial era. Molepolole serves as the capital of the Bakwena. It was named after the Molepolole river.

Notwane River river in Botswana

The Notwane River is a river in southeastern Botswana. Certain sections of its course form the international boundary with South Africa. Its mouth is at the head of the Limpopo River. It has a catchment area of 18,053 square kilometers.

The Bokaa Dam was built in 1990/1991 by damming the Metsimotlhabe River just south of Bokaa village. [3] Surface drainage in the sandveld surrounding the Metsimotlhabe is limited to pans and dry valleys, which rarely carry surface water. [1] Sand extraction from the riverbed has caused problems, since this lowers the water table and causes the surrounding vegetation to die. [4] This is a significant economic activity in the District. [5] In June 2012 a spokesperson for the Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources pointed out that demand was high due to the boom in housing caused by the growing affluence of the country. [6]

Bokaa Dam dam in Kgatleng District

The Bokaa Dam is a dam on the Metsimotlhabe River, a tributary of the Ngotwane River, in Botswana. It provides water to the capital city of Gaborone. It is operated by the Water Utilities Corporation.

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Kgatleng District District in Botswana

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South-East District (Botswana) District in Botswana

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Morwa, Botswana Place in Kgatleng District, Botswana

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Letsibogo Dam dam in Urban water supply

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Dikgatlhong Dam

The Dikgatlhong Dam is a dam near the village of Robelela on the Shashe River in Botswana, completed in December 2011. When full it will hold 400,000,000 cubic metres (1.4×1010 cu ft). The next largest dam in Botswana, the Gaborone Dam, has capacity of 141,000,000 cubic metres (5.0×109 cu ft).

North-South Carrier

The North-South Carrier (NSC) is a pipeline in Botswana that carries raw water south for a distance of 360 kilometres (220 mi) to the capital city of Gaborone. Phase 1 was completed in 2000. Phase 2 of the NSC, under construction, will duplicate the pipeline to carry water from the Dikgatlhong Dam, which was completed in 2012. A proposed extension to deliver water from the Zambezi would add another 500 to 520 kilometres to the total pipeline length. The NSC is the largest engineering project ever undertaken in Botswana.

Mmamashia Water treatment plant and reservoir in Gaborone, Botswana

Mmamashia is a location in Botswana about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north of the capital city of Gaborone that is the site of the Mmamashia water treatment plant and master balancing reservoir.

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 Kweneng District Council 2002, p. 3.
  2. Metsimotlhabe.
  3. Bokaa Dam - Birdlife International.
  4. Kweneng District Council 2002, p. 34.
  5. Kweneng District Council 2002, p. 123.
  6. Mathala 2012.

Sources