Mzimvubu River

Last updated

Mzimvubu River
Umzimvubu River (Xhosa)
IY188 pg018 THE MOUTH OF THE UMZIMVUBU 'GATES' OF ST JOHN'S RIVER, NATAL.jpg
The Mzimvubu "gates"
South Africa relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of the Mzimvubu River mouth
EtymologyMeaning "place of the hippopotamus" in Xhosa [1]
Location
Country South Africa
Province Eastern Cape Province
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • location Drakensberg, Eastern Cape
 • elevation2,050 m (6,730 ft)
Mouth Indian Ocean
 • location
 Port St. Johns
 • coordinates
 31°37′S29°32′E / 31.617°S 29.533°E / -31.617; 29.533
 • elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Length250 km (160 mi)
Basin size19,853 km2 (7,665 sq mi)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • left Kinira, Thina, Tsitsa
 • right Mzintlava

Mzimvubu River or Umzimvubu River is one of the most important rivers in South Africa. [2] It is located in the Eastern Cape Province.

Contents

Course

The river has its source in the northern region of the Eastern Cape, in the area of Matatiele and Mount Fletcher near the Lesotho border. The Mzimvubu flows with twists and turns generally in a southeastern direction and flows into the Indian Ocean through an impressive gorge known as the "Gates of St John" into an estuary located at Port St. Johns. It is approximately 400 km long with a catchment area of 19,853 km². [3]

Although it is one of South Africa's major rivers, the Mzimvubu and its basin are largely undeveloped. Presently this river is part of the Mzimvubu to Keiskamma Water Management Area. [4]

History

In 1635 Portuguese ship 'Nossa Senhora de Belem' ran aground at the mouth of the Mzimvubu River. [5]

The Mzimvubu River divides Pondoland into an Eastern and Western Pondoland. [6] Formerly the river mouth was used as a harbor, but this activity was abandoned in the 1940s when the estuary became too shallow for large vessels owing to siltation and the fact that the entrance is sometimes obstructed by sand. Presently the estuary is river is navigable only for small craft for about 10 km upriver. [7]

Tributaries

The main tributaries of the Mzimvubu River are the Tsitsa River, the Thina River (Tina), the Kinira River and the Mzintlava River. [8]

Ecology

Some of the fishes caught in its waters are Oncorhynchus mykiss, an introduced species, Barbus anoplus and Anguilla mossambica; others, such as Micropterus salmoides and Cyprinus carpio, are invasive species. [9]

Bull sharks frequent the waters and are known to breed in the river and are linked to a spate of attacks on nearby beaches. [10]


See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mtamvuna River</span> River in South Africa

Mtamvuna River is a river that forms the border between KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape Provinces in South Africa. The river has a wide mouth and flows into the Indian Ocean just south of Port Edward. The Mtamvuna river is approximately 162 km long with a catchment area of 1,553 km². The name means "the reaper of mouthfuls" because of the damage the river does to crops during floods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Kei River</span> River in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

The Great Kei River is a river in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is formed by the confluence of the Black Kei River and White Kei River, northeast of Cathcart. It flows for 320 km (199 mi) and ends in the Great Kei Estuary at the Indian Ocean with the small town Kei Mouth on the west bank. Historically the Great Kei River formed the southwestern border of the Transkei region as was formerly known as the Nciba River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gamtoos River</span> River in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Gamtoos River or Gamptoos River is a river in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. It is formed by the confluence of the Kouga River and the Groot River and is approximately 645 kilometres (401 mi) long with a catchment area of 34,635 square kilometres (13,373 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Umzimkulu River</span> River in South Africa

The Mzimkulu River is a river in South Africa. In the past, the Mzimkulu formed part of the border between Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. Presently this river is part of the Mvoti to Umzimkulu Water Management Area. In late February of every year, the river is host to one of South Africa's most popular canoe races, the Drak Challenge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nahoon River</span> River in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

The Nahoon River is situated in the city of East London on the east coast of South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buffalo River (Eastern Cape)</span> River in South Africa

The Buffalo River is situated in the city of East London on the East Coast of South Africa. It is to the west of the Nahoon River. It is the only navigable river in South Africa. The town of East London was thus established around it.

Mzimvubu to Keiskamma WMA, or Mzimvubu to Keiskamma Water Management Area , includes the following major rivers: the Swane River, Mntafufu River, Mzimvubu River, Mngazi River, Mthatha River, Xora River, Mbashe River, Nqabara River, Gqunube River, Buffalo River, Nahoon River, Groot Kei River and Keiskamma River, and covers the following Dams:

The Komani River, is a river part of the Great Kei River system in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. It is a short river originating north of Queenstown and joining up with the Klaas Smits River, just south of the same town.

The White Kei River or Wit-Kei River is a river in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. It originates north of Queenstown, beginning its course as the Grootvleispruit river and eventually joining the Black Kei River, to form the Great Kei River.

The Black Kei River, originates southwest of Queenstown, and eventually joins the White Kei River, to become the Great Kei River. Several villages are situated on its banks, including McBride Village, Qabi, Ntabelanga, Thornhill, Loudon, Mitford, Basoto, Baccle's Farm and Tentergate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port St. Johns Local Municipality</span> Local municipality in Eastern Cape, South Africa

Port St. Johns Municipality is a local municipality within the OR Tambo District Municipality, in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port St. Johns</span> Place in Eastern Cape, South Africa

Port St. Johns is a town of about 6,500 people on the Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is situated at the mouth of the Umzimvubu River, 220 kilometres (140 mi) northeast of East London and 70 kilometres (40 mi) east of Mthatha. Port St. Johns was the birthplace of Capital Radio 604.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mthatha River</span> River in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Mthatha River or Umtata River is a river in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. The river flows into the Indian Ocean in an estuary located near Coffee Bay. The Mthatha river flows in a southeastern direction and is approximately 250 km long with a catchment area of 2,600 km2. Mthatha Town (Umtata) is named after it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keiskamma River</span> River in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

The Keiskamma River is a river in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. The river flows into the Indian Ocean in the Keiskamma Estuary, located by Hamburg Nature Reserve, near Hamburg, midway between East London and Port Alfred. The Keiskamma flows first in a southwestern and then in a southeastern direction after meeting its main tributary, the Tyhume River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krom River</span> River in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Krom River or Kromme River is a river in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. The river flows into the Indian Ocean through an estuary on the north side of St Francis Bay, west of Port Elizabeth. The Krom river flows in an ESE direction and is approximately 109 km long with a catchment area of 1,085 km2.

Mbhashe River is one of the major rivers in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. It flows in a southeastern direction and has a catchment area of 6,030 km2. The river drains into the Indian Ocean through an estuary located near the lighthouse at Bashee, south of Mhlanganisweni.

The Tsitsa River is a river in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. It is a tributary of the Mzimvubu River and belongs to the Mzimvubu to Keiskamma Water Management Area.

The marine protected areas of South Africa are in an area of coastline or ocean within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Republic of South Africa that is protected in terms of specific legislation for the benefit of the environment and the people who live in and use it. An MPA is a place where marine life can thrive under less pressure than unprotected areas. They are like underwater parks, and this healthy environment can benefit neighbouring areas.

The Addo Elephant National Park Marine Protected Area is a marine conservation area in Algoa Bay, adjacent to the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, near Gqeberha, previously Port Elizabeth.

The Pondoland Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region in the territorial waters of South Africa.

References

  1. ↑ "South African Languages | Place names". www.salanguages.com.
  2. ↑ "myfundi.co.za". myfundi.co.za. Archived from the original on 10 July 2012.{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ↑ "vn Rivers - Mzimvubu river". Archived from the original on 27 December 2008. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  4. ↑ Kapfudzaruwa, Farai; Sowman, Merle (13 October 2009). "Is there a role for traditional governance systems in South Africa's new water management regime?". Water SA. 35 (5): 683–692 – via SciELO.
  5. ↑ Mpondo Kingdom - The History of The Kingdom Archived 2013-07-04 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ Contributions to the ecology of Maputaland, Southern Africa
  7. ↑ van der Merwe, E. and Costello, K. Port St. Johns, "Paradise in Pondoland" (2nd edition).
  8. ↑ Mzimbuvu to Keiskamma WMA 12
  9. ↑ FROC - Reference frequency of occurrence of fish species in South Africa
  10. ↑ Costello, John (4 September 2023). "Sharks and Sound at Port St Johns Second Beach".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.