The Mokolo River is a major watercourse in Limpopo Province of South Africa. This river collects much of the drainage of the Waterberg Massif and discharges it to the Limpopo River. The river's catchment area comprises 8,387 square kilometres (3,238 sq mi).[2]
The Mokolo River and its upper course tributaries rise in the southwestern part of the Waterberg, between 1200 and 1600 metres above mean sea level. The Mokolo proper originates about 1.5 km north of Alma at the confluence of the Sand River with the Grootspruit River in a flattish, open area with numerous koppies. Shortly thereafter it flows northwards through a steep gorge emerging above the town of Vaalwater.[3]
As it heads northwards it threads through the northern Waterberg, an extensive rock formation that was shaped by hundreds of millions of years of river erosion to yield diverse bluffs and buttes.[4]
Then the river flows through the relatively flat area of the lowveld until it enters the Mokolo Dam. From there, it flows through another gorge before entering the Limpopo Plain, near the junction with the Rietspruit. From this point, the Mokolo River flows through flat sandy areas until it reaches the Limpopo's right bank.
Tributaries and damsedit
The most important tributaries of the Mokolo are: Sand River (whose uppermost section is named 'Little Nyl'), Klein Sand River, Sandspruit, Sondagsloop, Loubadspruit, Grootspruit, Sterkstroom, Brakspruit, Malmanies, Bulspruit, Rietspruit, Sandloop, Poer se Loop and the Tambotie River.
The Mokolo Dam is the only large dam in the system.[5]
Ecologyedit
Approximately 87 percent of the river's water use is for agriculture. Some wetlands rehabilitation in the upper Mokolo has been carried out and that effort has been deemed a success.[6] The Mokolo Dam Nature Reserve is located by the eastern and southern sides of the Mokolo Dam reservoir.[7]
The highest concentration of hippopotamus in the Limpopo River is found between the mouths of the Mokolo and the Mogalakwena Rivers.
mokolo, river, major, watercourse, limpopo, province, south, africa, this, river, collects, much, drainage, waterberg, massif, discharges, limpopo, river, river, catchment, area, comprises, square, kilometres, location, mouthetymologymeaning, deep, silent, lar. The Mokolo River is a major watercourse in Limpopo Province of South Africa This river collects much of the drainage of the Waterberg Massif and discharges it to the Limpopo River The river s catchment area comprises 8 387 square kilometres 3 238 sq mi 2 Mokolo RiverLocation of the Mokolo River mouthEtymologyMeaning deep and silent or large flow in the Tswana language 1 LocationCountrySouth AfricaStateLimpopo ProvincePhysical characteristicsSourceWaterberg MassifSource confluenceConfluence of the Sand River with the Grootspruit River locationNear Alma coordinates24 27 56 S 28 3 47 E 24 46556 S 28 06306 E 24 46556 28 06306 elevation1 202 m 3 944 ft Mouth locationLimpopo River South Africa Botswana border coordinates23 13 55 S 27 43 10 E 23 23194 S 27 71944 E 23 23194 27 71944 elevation799 m 2 621 ft Basin size8 387 km2 3 238 sq mi Major rivers and streams within the Limpopo River BasinRoad sign outside Laerskool Alma close to the confluence that marks the beginning of the Mokolo River Contents 1 Course 1 1 Tributaries and dams 2 Ecology 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksCourse editThe Mokolo River and its upper course tributaries rise in the southwestern part of the Waterberg between 1200 and 1600 metres above mean sea level The Mokolo proper originates about 1 5 km north of Alma at the confluence of the Sand River with the Grootspruit River in a flattish open area with numerous koppies Shortly thereafter it flows northwards through a steep gorge emerging above the town of Vaalwater 3 As it heads northwards it threads through the northern Waterberg an extensive rock formation that was shaped by hundreds of millions of years of river erosion to yield diverse bluffs and buttes 4 Then the river flows through the relatively flat area of the lowveld until it enters the Mokolo Dam From there it flows through another gorge before entering the Limpopo Plain near the junction with the Rietspruit From this point the Mokolo River flows through flat sandy areas until it reaches the Limpopo s right bank Tributaries and dams edit The most important tributaries of the Mokolo are Sand River whose uppermost section is named Little Nyl Klein Sand River Sandspruit Sondagsloop Loubadspruit Grootspruit Sterkstroom Brakspruit Malmanies Bulspruit Rietspruit Sandloop Poer se Loop and the Tambotie River The Mokolo Dam is the only large dam in the system 5 Ecology editApproximately 87 percent of the river s water use is for agriculture Some wetlands rehabilitation in the upper Mokolo has been carried out and that effort has been deemed a success 6 The Mokolo Dam Nature Reserve is located by the eastern and southern sides of the Mokolo Dam reservoir 7 The highest concentration of hippopotamus in the Limpopo River is found between the mouths of the Mokolo and the Mogalakwena Rivers See also editDrainage basin A List of rivers of South Africa Bushveld Water Management AreasReferences edit Transvaal Indigenous Place Names Archived 2008 10 31 at the Wayback Machine Mokolo River Data PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2007 10 20 Retrieved 2007 01 24 Limpopo WMA 1 C Michael Hogan Mark L Cooke and Helen Murray The Waterberg Biosphere Lumina Technologies May 22 2006 Archived March 1 2012 at the Wayback Machine State of Rivers Report the Mokolo River Wetlands restoration projects of the Limpopo Basin and other South African watersheds Archived from the original on 2007 08 22 Retrieved 2007 01 24 Mokolo Dam Nature Reserve LimpopoExternal links editMokolo Dam Nature Reserve Limpopo Water Resource Quality Situation Assessment Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mokolo River amp oldid 1119358059, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
