Shashe River

Last updated
Shashe River
Shashe at SIS.jpg
Location
Country Botswana, Zimbabwe
Physical characteristics
Source 
  locationnorthwest of Francistown, Botswana
Mouth  
  location
Limpopo River
Discharge 
  average462 million cubic metres per year (14.6 m3/s; 517 cu ft/s) [1]
Basin features
Tributaries 
  left Tati River, Ramokgwebana River, Thuli
Botswana physical map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of the mouth of the Shashe River on the Limpopo River 22°11′17″S29°21′17″E / 22.187961°S 29.354769°E / -22.187961; 29.354769 Coordinates: 22°11′17″S29°21′17″E / 22.187961°S 29.354769°E / -22.187961; 29.354769

The Shashe River (or Shashi River) is a major left-bank tributary of the Limpopo River in Zimbabwe. It rises northwest of Francistown, Botswana and flows into the Limpopo River where Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa meet. [2] The confluence is at the site of the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area.

Contents

Hydrology

The Shashe River is a highly ephemeral river, with flow generally restricted to a few days of the year. The river contributes 12.2% of the mean annual runoff of the Limpopo Basin. [3]

Major tributaries of the Shashe River include the Simukwe, Shashani, Thuli, Tati and Ramokgwebana rivers. The lower Shashe is a sand filled channel, with extensive alluvial aquifers in the river channel and below the alluvial plains. These supply water for a number of irrigation schemes including Sibasa and Shashi.

More than two million years ago, the Upper Zambezi River used to flow south through what is now the Makgadikgadi Pan (presently a vast seasonal wetland) to the Shashe River and thence the Limpopo River.

Settlements

There is a road bridge and a rail bridge south of Francistown. The lower Shashe River forms the border between Botswana and Zimbabwe and is unbridged. However, at Tuli, both sides of the river are in Zimbabwe and there are two legal crossing points. The Shashi runs through the Shashi Irrigation Scheme and the Tuli Block.[ citation needed ]

Dams

The Shashe River at the confluence with the Limpopo Rivers in Botswana Shashe River in Botswana, a highly ephemeral river.jpg
The Shashe River at the confluence with the Limpopo Rivers in Botswana

The Shashe River is dammed near Francistown at Shashe Dam. The original purpose was to supply water to the industrial city of Selebi-Phikwe. [4] In 1982 it was found that groundwater from the local wells in Francistown had high levels of nitrate, and was also inadequate to meet public demand, so the public water supply for that city was changed over to using water from the Shashe Dam. [5] The dam also supplies water to surrounding villages, Phoenix Mine (Tati Nickel Mining Company/Norilsk Nickel) and Mupane Gold Mine (IAMGOLD).[ citation needed ]

Further downstream, the Dikgatlhong Dam impounds the Shashe near the village of Robelela, completed in December 2011. [6] 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). [7] A pipeline from the Dikgatlhong Dam will connect to the North-South Carrier (NSC) pipeline at the BPT1 break pressure tank at Moralane. The NSC will take the water south to Gaborone. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

Limpopo River River in southern Africa

The Limpopo River rises in South Africa, and flows generally eastwards through Mozambique to the Indian Ocean. The term Limpopo is derived from Rivombo (Livombo/Lebombo), a group of Tsonga settlers led by Hosi Rivombo who settled in the mountainous vicinity and named the area after their leader. The river is approximately 1,750 kilometres (1,087 mi) long, with a drainage basin 415,000 square kilometres (160,200 sq mi) in size. The mean discharge measured over a year is 170 m3/s at its mouth. The Limpopo is the second largest river in Africa that drains to the Indian Ocean, after the Zambezi River.

Francistown Place in North-East District, Botswana

Francistown is the second largest city in Botswana, with a population of about 100,079 and 150,800 inhabitants for its agglomeration at the 2011 census. and often described as the "Capital of the North". It is located in eastern Botswana, about 400 kilometres (250 mi) north-northeast from the capital, Gaborone. Francistown is located at the confluence of the Tati and Inchwe rivers, and near the Shashe River and 90 kilometres from the international border with Zimbabwe. Francistown was the centre of southern Africa's first gold rush and is still surrounded by old and abandoned mines. The City of Francistown is an administrative district, separated from North-East District. It is administered by Francistown City Council.

Tuli, Zimbabwe

Tuli is a village in the province of Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe. It is located about 90 km west of Beitbridge on the eastern bank of the Shashe River. The village grew around Fort Tuli, which was the first settlement built by the Pioneer Column in July 1890 at the place known as Selous Camp and used by Frederick Selous as a base for his hunting expeditions. The village is mainly a police post and associated housing.

Mzingwane River

The Mzingwane River, formerly known Umzingwane River as or Umzingwani River is a major left-bank tributary of the Limpopo River in Zimbabwe. It rises near Fort Usher, Matobo District, south of Bulawayo and flows into the Limpopo River near Beitbridge, downstream of the mouth of the Shashe River and upstream of the mouth of the Bubye River.

Tshokwe Village in Central District, Botswana

Tshokwe is a village in Central District of Botswana. The village is located south-east of Francistown, near the border with Zimbabwe, and it has a primary school. The population was 897 according to the 2001 census.

Robelela Place in Central District, Botswana

Robelela is a village in Central District of Botswana. It is located south-east of Francistown, close to the border with Zimbabwe. The population was 471 in 2001 census.

Mwenezi River

Mwenezi River is a major tributary of the Limpopo River. The Mwenezi River starts up in south central Zimbabwe and flows south-east along what is known as the Mwenezi River Valley that bisects the district into two sectors. The river is found in both Zimbabwe and Mozambique. In Zimbabwe it has been known as the Nuanetsi or Nuanetzi River in the past, a name it retains in Mozambique.

Thuli River

The Thuli River, former name Tuli River, is a major tributary of the Shashe River in Zimbabwe. It rises near Matopo Mission, Matobo District, and flows into the Shashe River near Tuli village.

Bubye River

The Bubye River, also known as Bubi River, is a tributary of the Limpopo River in Beitbridge District and Gwanda District, Zimbabwe. It rises about 40 kilometres (25 mi) to the northeast of West Nicholson in Matabeleland South, from where it flows southeast before joining the Limpopo about 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of the border with Mozambique. Its course forms part of the border between Mberengwa and Mwenezi districts.

Tsetsebjwe Village in Central District, Botswana

Tsetsebjwe is a village in the Bobirwa sub-district of the Central District of Botswana. It is in the Central Bobonong census district. As of 2001 it had a population of 4,396. The village is northwest of the privately owned Limpopo-Lipadi Game and Wilderness Reserve, near the South African border.

Motloutse River

The Motloutse River is a river in Botswana, a tributary of the Limpopo River. The catchment area is 19,053 square kilometres (7,356 sq mi). The Letsibogo Dam on the Motloutse has been built to serve the industrial town of Selebi-Phikwe and surrounding local areas, with potential for use in irrigation.

Letsibogo Dam Dam in Urban water supply

The Letsibogo Dam is a dam on the Motloutse River in Botswana, built to initially provide water to the industrial town of Selebi-Phikwe and surrounding local areas, with potential for use in irrigation. The dam now supplies Gaborone, the capital of the country, via a 400 kilometres (250 mi) pipeline, as well as major villages along the pipeline route.

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.

Shashe Dam Dam in North-East District

The Shashe Dam is a dam on the Shashe River in Botswana that was built to supply water to the industrial city of Selebi-Phikwe. The large village of Tonota lies just south of the dam.

Tati River

The Tati River is a river in northeast Botswana, a tributary of the Shashe River, which in turn is a tributary of the Limpopo River. The river flows through Francistown, where it is joined by the Ntshe River from the left.

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 Water pipeline in Botswana

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.

Moralane Water tank and pumping station in Central District, Botswana

Moralane is a key site on the North-South Carrier (NSC), in Botswana, the main pipeline delivering raw water from the northeast to the Mmamashia water treatment plant just north of Gaborone.

Ramokgwebana River

The Ramokgwebana River is a river that defines part of the boundary between Botswana and Zimbabwe before entering the Shashe River from the left.

References

Citations

  1. A.H.M. Görgens and R.A. Boroto. 1997
  2. Shashe Sub-basin Archived 2012-10-31 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Görgens & Boroto 1997.
  4. Knight 1990, p. 402.
  5. Schmoll 2006, p. 284.
  6. Modikwa 2011.
  7. Dikgatlhong dam - Jeffares & Green.
  8. Paya, Matsiara, Bettesworth, et al. 2012, p. 3.

Sources