Kafue River: Difference between revisions

The Kafue River rises at an elevation of {{convert|1350|m}} on the relatively flat [[plateau]] just south the border between [[Zambia]] and the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]] {{convert|120|km}} north-west of [[Chingola]] in the [[Copperbelt Province]]. The source of the Kafue River is in the [[North-Western Province, Zambia|North-western Province]] of Zambia. The area is [[Miombo]] [[woodland]] on the Congo-Zambezi watershed, with many branching [[dambos]] lying {{convert|10|to|20|m}} lower than the highest ground, producing a very gently undulating [[topography]]. The river starts as a trickle from the marshy dambos (the Munyanshi Swamp is a tributary) and with little slope to speed up river flow, it meanders south-eastwards sluggishly and within {{convert|50|km}} has the character of a mature river. The area receives about {{convert|1200|mm}} of rain in the rainy season, and the river's channel soon reaches {{convert|100|m}} wide with a [[floodplain]] of fluvial dambos {{convert|1|to|2|km}} wide.<ref name="Google">[http://earth.google.com Google Earth] accessed 1 March 2007.</ref>

 

Before the river reaches the [[Copperbelt]] towns, however, it loses its wide floodplain, the channel narrows to 30–40&nbsp;m and it meanders less, in a shallow valley only 40&nbsp;m or so lower than the surrounding plateau. It flows close to the Copperbelt towns of [[Chililabombwe]], [[Chingola]] and [[Mufulira]], and through the outskirts of [[Kitwe]].<ref name="ITM">Terracarta/International Travel Maps, Vancouver Canada: "Zambia, 2nd edition", 2000</ref> The popular picnic spot the Hippo Pool north of Chingola is protected as a [[National Monuments of Zambia|national monument]].