616:
286:
306:
294:
29:
466:. The highest point of the watershed is located at 2,480 m. Annual rainfall varies from 0 mm in the lower reaches up to 475 mm in the eastern Khomas Highlands. Rainfall exceeds 300 mm per year in 39% of the catchment area, and up to 80% of the catchment experiences annual rainfall above 100 mm.
673:
at Khan use enormous quantities of water that further lower the water table. In addition, it is also often claimed that radioactive dust across the Khan gets into the Swakop, and therefore the vegetables cultivated there are contaminated by radioactive materials.
481:
in the upper reaches of the Swakop are of great importance for the water supply of
Central Namibia. Like all rivers, the Swakop also has a number of major sources and major wetlands in the lower reaches. Existing groundwater, however, is often salty due to
528:. In the Highlands a more or less dense bush vegetation prevails. In the arid lower reaches there is a more limited flora in the Swakop River valley itself, with the typical gallery vegetation from ana trees (
661:
as well as to the death of the gallery vegetation. Due to agricultural practices, erosion has greatly increased, so that more and more valuable soil is lost and the intensity of the Swakop floods increases.
646:
While in the upper reaches of the river the farms are often far from the river and extensive grazing is operated, the dams and the high groundwater level along the entire Swakop River valley make
379:, is one of the largest temporary water-bearing rivers in the dry western part of Namibia. It is 460 km (290 mi) long and has a 30,100 km (11,600 sq mi) large
426:
Notwithstanding the river’s irregular flow, some agriculture is undertaken in the Swakop River valley. Thus, the region is well known for its fresh produce, especially
405:'excrement'. The name derives from the observation of the flow of large amounts of brownish sludge that discharge into the Atlantic Ocean with the rains.
259:
231:
104:
678:
255:
239:
623:
Unlike the rest of the dry rivers in western
Namibia, there are large human settlements in the basin of the Swakop River, such as the towns of
251:
235:
880:"Flora of the Pro-Namib Desert Swakop River Catchment, Namibia: community classification and implications for desert vegetation sampling"
921:
968:
747:
615:
423:
Groundwater levels in the area have dropped about 0.3 m further due to the presence of two big dams built on the Swakop River.
933:
796:
653:
The extensive use of the groundwater in agriculture and the high water consumption in cities result in the lowering of the
963:
958:
450:
The Swakop drains a catchment area of 30,100 km extending from the mouth into the
Atlantic Ocean at Swakopmund over
155:
583:
Wildlife in the Swakop River valley is found practically only in the sparsely populated lower reaches and is limited to
841:"The geology of the Neoproterozoic Swakop-Otavi transition zone in the Outjo District, northern Damara Orogen, Namibia"
666:
489:
On the lower reaches of the river, flooding has become ever more increasing, due to increased land use of the Swakop
810:
764:
420:) that use the regular fog drifting in from the sea to sustain themselves in the absence of other moisture.
948:
509:
Because of its size and scope, the Swakop has a very diverse catchment area. 29% of the area is in
681:
in
Swakopmund is a notable man-made sight near the place where the river empties into the ocean.
670:
439:
650:
and even gardening, such as the cultivation of asparagus in
Swakopmund Goanikontes, possible.
749:
Ephemeral rivers and their catchments: Sustaining people and development in western
Namibia
8:
953:
81:
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438:. There are some fears of salt and uranium (possibly natural, possibly from the
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380:
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141:
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864:
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643:, so that the population in the catchment area is more than 200,000 persons.
483:
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170:
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920:
Klaus Hüser, Helga Besler, Wolf Dieter Blümel, Klaus Heine, Hartmut Leser,
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are also known for rich bird life and some unusual plant species (like the
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657:. This leads, particularly in the lower reaches, to the drying up of many
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126:
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289:
The Swakop River flooding 20 km outside
Swakopmund on 15 February 2008.
263:
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711:] (in German). Windhoek, Göttingen: Klaus Hess. pp. 134–135.
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493:. This contributes to a stronger and more rapid runoff and increased
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818:
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Jacobson, Peter J.; Jacobson, Kathryn M.; Seely, Mary K. (1995).
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river; its run-off is roughly 40 million cubic metres per annum.
326:
67:
28:
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301:(2017). Poles of the old railway bridge seen in the foreground.
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759:: Desert Research Foundation of Namibia. pp. 138–139.
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510:
33:
The landscape of the Swakop River Valley near
Richthofen
383:(including its tributaries). The name comes from the
745:
619:
333:. From there it flows westwards through the town of
524:and savanna transition zone, and 9% in the central
878:Cowlishaw, Guy; Davies, Jonathan G. (June 1997).
940:
877:
797:Uranium in groundwater 'not serious': Roessing
400:
394:
388:
42:
722:"Elections 2010: Erongo regional profile".
926:Namibia – Eine Landschaftskunde in Bildern
791:
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781:Dictionary of Southern African Place Names
741:
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737:
735:
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669:, in the lower reaches of the Swakop, and
817:. Rössing Uranium Limited. Archived from
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454:and in the east to about 50 km from
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928:. Klaus Hess, Göttingen/Windhoek 2001,
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208:30,100 km (11,600 sq mi)
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372:The Swakop River, along with its main
325:) is a major river in western central
715:
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442:) endangering this farming industry.
696:
800:- The Namibian, Friday 24 June 2005
309:Aerial view of Swakop River (2017).
13:
337:, the historic mission station at
14:
980:
783:. Johannesburg: Lowry Publishers.
969:Geography of Otjozondjupa Region
845:South African Journal of Geology
27:
871:
839:Clifford, T. N. (2008-03-01).
832:
803:
773:
149: • coordinates
1:
914:
684:
92:Physical characteristics
884:Journal of Arid Environments
813:Rössing in the Erongo Region
445:
188: • elevation
117:1,560 m (5,120 ft)
113: • elevation
7:
607:are no longer to be found.
591:and birds. Animals such as
297:Where the Swakop meets the
137: • location
10:
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964:Geography of Khomas Region
959:Geography of Erongo Region
665:Uranium mines such as the
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200:460 km (290 mi)
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857:10.2113/gssajg.111.1.117
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341:, and the settlement of
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703:Malan, Johan S (1998).
639:and Namibia's capital,
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349:desert and reaches the
329:. Its source is in the
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227: • left
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896:10.1006/jare.1996.0203
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611:Usage and colonisation
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345:. It then crosses the
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709:The Tribes of Namibia
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779:Raper, Peter (1987)
667:Langer Heinrich mine
505:Vegetation and fauna
440:Rössing uranium mine
412:and the surrounding
408:The area around the
365:). The Swakop is an
192:0 m (0 ft)
705:Die Völker Namibias
564:spp.), Jimsonweed (
473:near Okahandja and
363:Mouth of the Swakop
213:Basin features
167: /
621:
558:and also tobacco (
311:
303:
291:
949:Rivers of Namibia
934:978-3-933117-14-4
648:intensive farming
531:Faidherbia albida
283:
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171:22.667°S 14.533°E
107:near Otjozondjati
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671:the Rössing Mine
578:invasive species
570:) and mesquite (
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520:savanna, 34% in
460:Khomas Highlands
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16:River in Namibia
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726:. 24 June 2005.
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543:Acacia erioloba
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491:gallery forests
475:Swakoppoort Dam
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331:Khomas Highland
278:Swakoppoort Dam
260:Gami Kaub River
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176:-22.667; 14.533
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890:(2): 271–290.
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381:catchment area
351:Atlantic Ocean
299:Atlantic Ocean
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232:Otjiseva River
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105:Eros Mountains
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821:on 2006-12-30
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679:Swakop Bridge
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484:soil salinity
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256:Omusema River
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240:Tsaobis River
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823:. Retrieved
819:the original
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526:Namib Desert
508:
488:
479:Gross Barmen
471:Von Bach Dam
468:
449:
425:
422:
407:
371:
339:Gross Barmen
315:Swakop River
314:
312:
274:Von Bach Dam
82:Otjozondjupa
753:(PDF 8.7MB)
655:water table
633:Otjimbingwe
452:Otjimbingwe
418:Welwitschia
410:river mouth
399:'anus‘ and
343:Otjimbingwe
270:Waterbodies
218:Tributaries
174: /
39:Native name
954:Swakopmund
943:Categories
915:Literature
825:2007-01-06
766:9991670947
685:References
603:and other
587:, smaller
550:, various
522:semidesert
499:Marshlands
355:Swakopmund
264:Khan River
252:Sney River
236:Kaan River
205:Basin size
904:0140-1963
865:1012-0750
637:Okahandja
593:elephants
589:predators
576:spp.) as
561:Nicotiana
554:species,
548:Salvadora
518:thornveld
516:, 28% in
456:Okahandja
446:Hydrology
432:asparagus
390:Tsoa-xaub
374:tributary
367:ephemeral
335:Okahandja
922:Uwe Rust
757:Windhoek
641:Windhoek
605:big cats
585:antelope
573:Prosopis
511:highveld
477:west of
464:Windhoek
462:outside
428:tomatoes
385:Khoekhoe
323:Tsoaxaub
319:Khoekhoe
59:Location
51:Khoekhoe
44:Tsoaxaub
724:New Era
659:springs
629:Karibib
537:Tamarix
514:savanna
495:erosion
393:, from
387:phrase
327:Namibia
162:14°32′E
159:22°40′S
74:Regions
68:Namibia
64:Country
932:
902:
863:
763:
625:Usakos
597:rhinos
567:Datura
556:Euclea
436:olives
359:German
221:
197:Length
131:
101:Source
86:Erongo
78:Khomas
47:
22:Swakop
707:[
690:Notes
601:lions
414:dunes
347:Namib
127:Mouth
930:ISBN
900:ISSN
861:ISSN
761:ISBN
677:The
469:The
434:and
402:xaub
396:tsoa
377:Khan
313:The
892:doi
853:doi
849:111
552:fig
546:),
353:at
945::
924::
898:.
888:36
886:.
882:.
859:.
847:.
843:.
788:^
755:.
732:^
635:,
631:,
627:,
599:,
595:,
580:.
501:.
486:.
430:,
361::
321::
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262:,
258:,
254:,
238:,
234:,
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80:,
906:.
894::
867:.
855::
828:.
815:"
811:"
769:.
357:(
317:(
53:)
49:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
