Rivers not yet at sea

COASTAL residents are waiting anxiously for the rivers to reach the sea after heavy downpours in most catchment areas over the past week.

The Kuiseb River seems to be flowing the fastest, but had been reduced to a stream yesterday when it reached Rooibank, approximately 30 km from Walvis Bay. If the river comes down in flood at Rooibank, NamWater borehole installations there could be damaged.At the Gobabeb Training and Research Centre, on the banks of the Kuiseb River in the Namib Desert, the depth of the river was measured at 1,8 metres on Sunday afternoon.By yesterday the level had dropped to 10 cm.NamWater officials at Swakopmund were monitoring the flow of the Omaruru River closely, hoping it would soon reach the Omdel Dam outside Henties Bay.According to Hendri Opperman of the Swakopmund office, the river was flowing between Okombahe and Uis yesterday.Despite flowing strongly further inland, the Khan River has not progressed much past Usakos.No water has reached the Rossing mine area, which is about 60 km from Swakopmund.The Khan flows into the Swakop River 40 km from Swakopmund.The Swakop River was last reported to be flowing at Otjimbingwe, just south of Karibib.According to plot owners in the river valley, the Khan would have to be in flood for the Swakop River to reach the sea.It will be exactly 20 years ago at the end of the month when the Swakop River flooded the Rossmund golf course and the water level almost touched the Swakop bridge.Opperman, of NamWater, said rivers would probably flow faster now as most of the riverbeds were wet and muddy from the first floods.If the river comes down in flood at Rooibank, NamWater borehole installations there could be damaged. At the Gobabeb Training and Research Centre, on the banks of the Kuiseb River in the Namib Desert, the depth of the river was measured at 1,8 metres on Sunday afternoon. By yesterday the level had dropped to 10 cm. NamWater officials at Swakopmund were monitoring the flow of the Omaruru River closely, hoping it would soon reach the Omdel Dam outside Henties Bay. According to Hendri Opperman of the Swakopmund office, the river was flowing between Okombahe and Uis yesterday. Despite flowing strongly further inland, the Khan River has not progressed much past Usakos. No water has reached the Rossing mine area, which is about 60 km from Swakopmund. The Khan flows into the Swakop River 40 km from Swakopmund. The Swakop River was last reported to be flowing at Otjimbingwe, just south of Karibib. According to plot owners in the river valley, the Khan would have to be in flood for the Swakop River to reach the sea. It will be exactly 20 years ago at the end of the month when the Swakop River flooded the Rossmund golf course and the water level almost touched the Swakop bridge. Opperman, of NamWater, said rivers would probably flow faster now as most of the riverbeds were wet and muddy from the first floods.