Olifants River (Mpumalanga)

Olifants River
River
Olifants River as it flows through the Kruger National Park
Country	South Africa
State	Mpumalanga
Basin	54,570 km2 (21,070 sq mi)
[1]

The Olifants River flows north through Witbank Dam and then the Loskop Dam and is forced east by the Transvaal Drakensberg, cutting through at the Abel Erasmus Pass and then flowing east to join with the Letaba River, crossing into Mozambique after cutting through the Lebombo Mountains by way of the Olifants Gorge, becoming the Rio dos Elefantes, joining the Limpopo River and the Rio Changane before entering the Indian Ocean at Xai-Xai north of Maputo.

The Olifants River and some of its tributaries, notably the Klein Olifants River (origin near Hendrina, joins the Olifants River downstream of the Middelburg Dam), Elands River, Wilge River and Bronkhorstspruit, rise in the Highveld grasslands. Thirty large dams in the Olifants River Catchment include the Witbank Dam, Renosterkop Dam, Rust de Winter Dam, Blyderivierspoort Dam, Loskop Dam, Middelburg Dam, Ohrigstad Dam, Arabie Dam and the Phalaborwa Barrage.

The Olifants River has its origin near Bethal, and its largest tributary is the Steenkool Spruit. It falls into the Drainage Area B (see list of Drainage Areas below).

Dams on this River

• Witbank Dam
• Middelburg Dam, on the Klein Olifants River

See also

• List of Water Drainage Area's of South Africa
• Water Management Areas

References

1. ^ "State of Rivers Report - The Olifants River System". Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. http://www.csir.co.za/rhp/state_of_rivers/state_of_crocsabieolif_01/olif_eco.html. Retrieved 2009-02-19.