THUKELA RIVER: Overview

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Map of Thukela River

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The Thukela is the largest river system in KwaZulu-Natal.  The funnel shaped catchment area of the Thukela River lies predominantly in the KwaZulu-Natal. The river and its tributaries, meandering through central  KwaZulu-Natal, draining from the Drakensberg escarpment towards the Indian Ocean. 

"The Thukela River rises in the Drakensberg Mountains near Bergville where peaks rise to over 3 000 m amsl. " (www.dwaf.gov.za/thukela/Background.htm)

It then flows eastward from a steep escarpment across low mountains of high relief, open hills of high relief and lowlands of low relief and thereafter through a deeply incised valley until it reaches the Indian Ocean approximately 85 km north of the city of Durban , Africa ’s largest port. (Ref 3)

The catchment is made up of 86 inter-linked and cascading Quaternary Catchments as defined by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF). (Ref 3)

Zulu meaning:
  • "a river that acts with frightening suddeness"
  • a name derived from the verb "tuku" which means to astonish or to be startled"
  • "the fearsome one"                                                            (Ref 2)
"The River extends latitudinally from 27.41o to 29.40oS and longitudinally from 28.96o to 31.44oE. Catchment area:  29 036 km2 " (www.unescohelp2007.com/Thukele.doc) Google Earth View 
"Through South Africa ’s National Water Act of 1998 (NWA), the Thukela catchment is now a designated Water Management Area; one of 19 in South Africa . By implication, the NWA, in its manifestations ranging from a more equitable allocation of water to the various demand sectors (including the aquatic environment) to controlling / levying streamflow reducing activities, will in time have to be implemented through a stakeholder-manager-driven Catchment Management Agency for the Thukela (the “P” in HELP). " (www.unescohelp2007.com/Thukele.doc)
"During the drought of 1995, when the level of the Vaal Dam was below 15%, the transfer of water from the Tugela River to the Sterkfontein Dam and releases from this dam to the Vaal Dam were the life blood of the Gauteng area.  Without this supply, homes and industries would have run dry."  (www.randwater.co.za/Education/Wi_Details.asp?ArticleId=42)
The upper reaches of the Thukela River, upstream of the confluence with the Bushmans River, includes the towns of Bergville, Ladysmith, Colenso and Weenen. The Klip River is the main tributary in this area. This area is the source of water for the Thukela-Vaal Transfer Scheme, which, inter alia, transfers water to the Vaal River System. The transfer capacity of this scheme represents a large portion (about 30%) of the water resources available in the Upper Vaal Water Management Area, which is the economic heart of South Africa. Ref.1.
The catchment of the Little Thukela River, a tributary of the Thukela River, is characterised by large irrigation requirements (36 million m3/a). Other water uses are insignificant. The only significant dam in this area is the small Bell Park Dam. The upper areas the Little Thukela are located in a nature reserve and areas adjacent to the nature reserve have  developed rapidly into popular tourist resorts. The Bushmans River rises in the Drakensberg Mountain range and flows in a north-easterly direction past the town of Estcourt to join the Thukela River near the town of Weenen.  The Sundays River flows in a south-easterly direction from the eastern escarpment to its confluence with the Thukela River near the Bushmans River confluence.Ref.1.
The Buffalo River is the main northern tributary of the Thukela River and flows in a southeasterly direction from the eastern escarpment (Newcastle area) to its confluence with the Thukela River near Nkandla.  Ref.1
The Mooi River rises in the Drakensberg Mountains and flows parallel to the Bushmans River in a north-easterly direction to join the Thukela River near Muden. The only town of any significance in the catchment is Mooi River. The predominant land use in the catchment is commercial agriculture and there is large-scale irrigation of pastures and summer cash crops.  The transfer scheme situated at Mearns can transfer water to the Mgeni River System. (Ref 1)

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  References                                      

Ref 1:  Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, South Africa. 2004. Internal Strategic Perspective: Thukela Water Management Area : Prepared by Tlou & Matji (Pty) Ltd, WRP (Pty) Ltd, and DMM cc on behalf of the Directorate: National Water Resource Planning (East). DWAF Report No. P WMA 07/000/00/0304.

Ref 2:  The Estuaries of Natal by George Begg

Ref 3:  Submitted by School of Bioresources Engineering and Environmental HydrologyUniversity of Natal Pietermaritzburg, 3201 South  Africa  

Ref 4:  Schulze, R.E., Dlamini, D.J.M. and Horan, M.J.C. 2005. The Thukela Catchment : Physical and Socio-Economic Background . In: Schulze, R.E. (Ed) Climate Change and Water Resources in Southern Africa: Studies on Scenarios, Impacts, Vulnerabilities and Adaptation. Water Research Commission, Pretoria, RSA, WRC Report 1430/1/05. Chapter 10, 191 - 209.

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