Simiyu River

Simiyu River
River
Country	Tanzania
Tributaries
- right	Duma River (Tanzania)
Source
- elevation	1,680 m (5,512 ft)
Mouth
- location	Speke Gulf, Lake Victoria
- elevation	1,133 m (3,717 ft)
- coordinates
Length	180 km (112 mi)
Basin	10,800 km2 (4,170 sq mi)

The Simiyu River is a river in Tanzania. It flows into Lake Victoria in the African Great Lakes region. As one of the six main inlets to Lake Victoria, it forms part of the upper headwaters of the Nile.

Geography

The Simiyu arises on the western slopes of Mount Loolmalasin and the Ngorongoro Highlands. It flows across the Serengeti into Magu Bay of the Speke Gulf of Lake Victoria. The Simiyu has two main tributaries entering from the right, the Duma River and the Komahola River, and one from the left the Maloho River. There is considerable farming in the lower reaches of the Simiyu Basin, which causes runoff of fertilizers and pesticides. The delta of the Simiyu is a marsh that starts just downstream from the town of Magu. Upstream from Magu just below the Ndagalu Forest Reserve is the village of Samilunga.

History

In 1875, Henry Morton Stanley was the first European to sight the Simiyu River.

Climate

There are two rainy seasons, the light one from November into January, and the heavy one from March to May, which result in 700 to 1000 mm of annual rainfall. Less than 10% of the rainfall makes it to the mouth of the river due to a very high evapotranspiration rate.

Hydrometrie

Average monthly flow of Simiyu measured at the hydrological station in Magu Mjini Estate, about 10 km above the mouth in m³ / s (1999–2004). The Simiyu flows stimulate time-dependent, like most rivers in the region.