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47-571: The dam has a height of 62 metres (203 ft), a crest length of 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) and forms a reservoir of 390 square kilometres (150 sq mi), flooding a section of the Kafue National Park . The initial purpose of the dam was to store water for the Kafue Gorge Upper Power Station more than 260 kilometres (160 mi) downstream. The Kafue River, like most in south-central Africa, has

94-651: A Priority Support Plan was initiated by Zambia's Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) and African Parks to secure technical and financial support for the park over a 15-month period. Following the success of this procedure, the Zambian government invited African Parks to enter into a 20-year agreement to manage Kafue. The country is generally flat or gently undulating apart from some small, steep porphyritic granite hills between Chonga and Ngoma and occasional sandstone and granite hills around Ngoma rising to 120 m (390 ft). The southwestern part of

141-504: A channel into the Kafue. The area between the swamp and river is flood plain and when that and surrounding areas are inundated in the rainy season, the combined wetland exceeds 6,000 km . This is the first of the three main wildlife areas of the river, and the least surveyed and protected. The character of the river changes again, as it forms a less meandering dry-season channel with sandy banks and islands. Continuing south-west it enters

188-465: A depth of less than a metre in the rainy season (deeper in some lagoons and permanently swampy areas), and drying out to a clayey black soil in the dry season. The Kafue Flats are the third major wildlife area of the river. Tens of thousands of Kafue Lechwe live on the Kafue Flats and are adapted to wading the flooded areas. This area also has one of the greatest variety and concentrations of birds in

235-452: A few of the largest Nile crocodiles in southern Africa. There are also monitor lizards in the park. Kafue National Park is designated an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International. There are over 500 recorded bird species. The Chaplin's barbet , Zambia's only endemic bird, is rated as vulnerable by the IUCN . More birds include Pel's fishing owl , the black-cheeked lovebird ,

282-425: A flow of 300 cubic metres per second (11,000 cu ft/s) to flood the Kafue Flats in order to maintain natural cycles. However, this has not happened in practice, mainly because the reservoir has not contained sufficient water at the right times to facilitate such a flow. The demand for electric power takes priority, and this, compounded by erratic rainfall since 1990, has prevented the dam from releasing water at

329-661: A full account. It was opened in 1906 to connect Kafue with Mazabuka and was originally meant to be part of the Cape to Cairo Railway . The first road bridge across the Kafue was originally built across the Thames in London during the Second World War. After the war, it was dismantled and installed some 9 km downstream from the railway bridge. Previously, road traffic crossed the river by pontoon. The T3 road crosses

376-462: A mature river. The area receives about 1,200 millimetres (47 in) of rain in the rainy season, and the river's channel soon reaches 100 metres (330 ft) wide with a floodplain of fluvial dambos 1 to 2 kilometres (0.62 to 1.24 mi) wide. Before the river reaches the Copperbelt towns, however, it loses its wide floodplain, the channel narrows to 30–40 m and it meanders less, in

423-510: A reservoir 50 km long and up to 10 km wide. Further east, the river flows sluggishly across a flat plain called the Kafue Flats (formerly Butwa after the Twa people ) and for the third time develops intricate meanders in a maze of swampy channels and lagoons. This time however it also has an immense shallow flood plain which no roads or railways cross, 240 kilometres (150 mi) long and about 50 kilometres (31 mi) wide, flooded to

470-541: A shallow valley only 40 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 . The popular picnic spot the Hippo Pool north of Chingola is protected as a national monument . In the Copperbelt, water is taken from the river to irrigate small farms and market gardens . At Kitwe it changes course to

517-477: A very high seasonal variation, flooding in the rainy season and slowing to perhaps a twentieth of the peak flow rate at the end of the dry season. Power generation however requires a steady flow, which can only be achieved by having a reservoir large enough to store the seasonal flood for use in the dry season. At the Kafue Gorge the topography does not allow a large enough reservoir to form. The designers of

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564-562: Is home to 152 different species of mammals. There are also 515 bird species, 70 reptile species, 58 species of fish and 36 amphibious species. The park is named for the Kafue River . It stretches over three provinces: North Western , Central and Southern . The main access is via the Lusaka–Mongu Road from Lusaka to Mongu which crosses the park north of its centre. Seasonal dirt roads also link from Kalomo and Namwala in

611-519: Is less visited since the Itezhi-Tezhi Dam was built and more lodges were developed in the north. The reservoir cut the north–south track through the park and used to make it necessary to detour outside the park to drive between Ngoma and Chunga. The completion of the spine road once again links the north and south of the park. Kafue National Park receives extra protection because it is buffered by nine Game Management Areas. Still, poaching and

658-569: Is the largest tributary of the Zambezi , and of Zambia 's principal rivers, it is the most central and the most urban . More than 50% of Zambia's population live in the Kafue River Basin and of these around 65% are urban. It has a mean flow rate of 320 cubic metres per second (11,000 cu ft/s) through its lower half, with high seasonal variations. The river discharges 10 cubic kilometres (2.4 cu mi) per year into

705-530: The African finfoot , Böhm's bee-eaters , paradise flycatchers , and sunbirds , and numerous kingfisher species. The Busanga swamps are home to a variety of waterbirds. It is one of the few known breeding sites for wattled cranes . The endangered Grey crowned crane is also in the park. Additionally there are flocks of pelicans , many species of egrets and large gatherings of African openbill storks. Colonies of African skimmers are found on sandbars in

752-522: The Hook granite massif underlies the central part of the park, including schist , gneiss , granite-gneiss and granite. On the edge of the granite massif there are slates, quartzites and limestones from the Katanga sediments of the inner Lufilian Arc . To the north and south of the massif the soil covers Karroo sediments of shales , siltstones , concreted gravels and various types of laterite . In

799-659: The Kafue National Park , second largest national park in Africa, where it receives its two largest tributaries, the Lunga and Lufupa rivers, also from the north. The Kafue skirts the south-east edge of the Busanga Plain, one of Africa's premier wildlife areas, known for large herds of cape buffalo , zebra and antelope . In the rainy season the Lufupa floods the plain. Like the upper Zambezi, Okavango and Cuando rivers,

846-629: The Nkoya people of Mwene Kabulwebulwe , from their traditional hunting grounds into the Mumbwa District to the east in 1924. In 2021, Nkoya leaders called to establish a new province in the area, which they propose to name Kafue Province . Dissatisfaction with the pace of development in Central Province and a lack of benefit from tourism in the park are some of the reasons for this demand for an 11th province. In February 2021,

893-790: The Zambezi River . The Kafue River rises at an elevation of 1,350 metres (4,430 ft) on the relatively flat plateau just south the border between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo 120 kilometres (75 mi) north-west of Chingola in the Copperbelt Province . The source of the Kafue River is in the North-western Province of Zambia. The area is Miombo woodland on

940-540: The Congo-Zambezi watershed, with many branching dambos lying 10 to 20 metres (33 to 66 ft) 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 50 kilometres (31 mi) has the character of

987-717: The Kafue river in this park are the Lufupa and Lunga rivers in the north, the Luansanza in the centre and the Musa in the south. Mean annual rainfall varies from 510 mm (20 in) in the south to more than 1,020 millimetres (40 in) in the north. Dry season is from June-October. The annual mean temperature is 21 °C (70 °F), with a mean maximum from 26 °C (79 °F) in July to 33 °C (91 °F) in October,

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1034-611: The Kafue used to flow south all the way to Lake Makgadikgadi and on to the Limpopo River , but the land in that area was uplifted . A rift valley formed running due east of where the Kafue National Park is now, and the Kafue river eroded a channel called the Itezhi-Tezhi Gap through a ridge of hills about 100 m high, flowing eastwards. The Itezhi-Tezhi Dam was built in 1977 at the gap and now forms

1081-481: The Lufupa river. Kafue National Park hosts 21 species of antelope . This large range of antelope includes puku , sitatunga , red lechwe , blue duiker , yellow-backed duiker , Sharpe's grysbok , oribi , impala , roan antelope , sable antelope and hartebeest . With around 4,800 African bush elephant , herds are commonly seen. Other mammals include African buffalo , aardvark , pangolin , bushpig , warthog , spring hare and bush baby . Since 2005,

1128-591: The Lukanga Swamp help silt and pollution settle out so that the river becomes clear downstream. A report in April 2002 said: … natural wetlands are quite effective at controlling water pollution from mining in the Copperbelt … Tests show the Kafue to be clean of mining pollutants downstream from the Copperbelt. In the Kafue flats , the discharge of phosphates in excess fertiliser run-off from commercial farming and

1175-465: The March–April inundation in their nutrition and breeding. Many of the local residents move their settlements annually to cope with the regular cycle of flooding. The dam removes the peak of the flooding and the trough of low water in the dry season. It reduces the natural seasonal variation of the river flow. The designers intended for the dam to 'open the floodgates' for the duration of March, and allow

1222-654: The Nakambala Sugar Estate can cause algal blooms and weed growth, reducing fish populations. Effluent from mining containing cadmium, lead and mercury have degraded the Kafue River Municipal water supply had to be suspended when the Kafue River turned blue due to slurry discharge Because of its size and geographic location, the Kafue River basin is an ecosystem that provides services and support to communities and industries that have different and sometimes conflicting interests in usage of

1269-470: The Zambian Cabinet approved a revised National Water policy that "aims to improve water resources management by establishing institutional coordination, engaging in modern methods of integrated water resource management while decentralising government policy to address diverse interests within the water sector". These have had major negative environmental effects on the river — see main article on

1316-683: The Zambian Government with a loan of $ 142 million to fund approximately half of the project cost. The power station was fully commissioned in February 2016. The Kafue Flats ecosystem is adapted to regular extremes of flooding and drying out. The floods charge the soil with water. Fish and animals adapt to swim or wade, help spread nutrients, and when the waters recede, grasses grow rapidly and sustain herbivores such as buffalo , lechwe , and cattle . The natural seasonal cycle has maintained plants, fish, and animals, as they have adapted to

1363-620: The Zambian state-owned power company, and TATA Africa, a part of Indian conglomerate Tata Group . The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor is Sinohydro , a Chinese, state-owned hydropower engineering and construction company, while two 60MW Kaplan turbines are being supplied by Alstom. In 2014, The African Development Bank (AfDB), the Dutch Development Bank FMO, the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and Propaco of France provided

1410-474: The area are Sarotherodon macrochir , Tilapia andersonii , T. rendalli , T. sparrmanii , Clarias gariepinus , Marcusenius macrolepidotus , Labeo molybdinus and Hepsetus odoe . In 1992, kapenta ( Limnothrissa miodon ) from Lake Tanganyika were introduced into Lake Itezhi-tezhi. Ngoma in the south is the headquarters of the park, but this area, together with the Nanzhila Plains,

1457-493: The dam therefore had the idea of siting the main reservoir at Itezhi-Tezhi, and releasing the water in a steady flow down the river along the Kafue Flats to the Kafue Gorge Dam. Construction began in 2011 of a 120-megawatt (160,000 hp) power station at the Itezhi-Tezhi Dam and was due for completion in 2015. The $ 250 million plant will be operated by Itezhi Tezhi Power Company (ITPC), a joint venture between ZESCO ,

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1504-488: The dams according to a more natural flooding regime, presumably by keeping to the original intention of a 300-cubic-metre-per-second (11,000 cu ft/s) flood for the whole of March. Kafue National Park Kafue National Park is the largest national park in Zambia , covering an area of about 22,400 km (similar in size to Wales or Massachusetts ). It is the second largest national park in Africa and

1551-513: The demand for bushmeat has led to decline in animal numbers. In 2018, a team of six NGOs worked together to prevent declines due to poaching and habitat degradation. African Parks joined the coalition in 2021, working with the Zambia Wildlife Authority . The Priority Support Plan with African Parks and the government led to the creation of over 200 jobs, improved protection measures, and infrastructure investments. Some of

1598-401: The hottest month of the year. Winds are mostly light, blowing from the east. Most of the park is covered in miombo woodlands , which are open semi- deciduous forests of trees in the genera Brachystegia , Julbernardia and Isoberlinia , adapted to periodic wildfires . These woodlands have a few small dambos interspersed among them. Evergreen forests of teak and mopane occur in

1645-486: The infrastructure improvements were a new law enforcement centre, fixing existing infrastructure at Chunga and Ngoma, and grading roads. In 2021, investment for law enforcement was double the average for 2018–2020. Kafue River The 1,576 kilometres (979 mi) long Kafue River is the longest river lying wholly within Zambia. Its water is used for irrigation and for generating hydroelectric power . It

1692-510: The main rivers. The small termite mounds of the grasslands attract sooty chats , and wetter areas of the plains are favoured by the rosy-throated longclaw . When the termite alates fly before the rains, pallid harriers , Montagu's harriers , lesser kestrels and European hobby feast on them. The woodlands are home to African hawk-eagles , black-chested snake-eagles , racket-tailed rollers , flocks of helmetshrikes , and sooty and Arnot's chats . Commercially important fish species in

1739-422: The man-made Itezhi-Tezhi Dam , forming a reservoir partially within the park. An important aquatic plant is the grass Vossia cuspidata , which forms free-floating mats in the river. Aeschynomene elaphroxylon is a problematic weed near Lake Itezhi-tezhi. Mimosa pigra , an invasive shrub, is threatening wattled crane areas. The Busanga Plains in the far north-west are seasonally flooded grasslands along

1786-579: The northern end of the park the flood plains have clay soils, but otherwise the soils are strongly leached sandy to loamy soils with low fertility. In most of the drainage of the Nanzila river , and in some of the lands around the Nkala , Musa and Lwansanza rivers, there are dark grey alkaline clays. Otherwise, the park is covered by well-drained and relatively infertile pale or orange Kalahari sands mixed with some silt and clay. The main tributaries to

1833-478: The originally intended flow rates. The Itezhi-Tezhi Dam has impacted the local ecology of the Kafue Flats in the following ways: The 2003/4 rainy season saw particularly high rainfall in Zambia. The effect of the Itezhi-Tezhi Dam release during this season is shown in the above NASA photos. According to a NASA website, in June 2004 an agreement was made with the hydroelectricity company to restore water releases from

1880-606: The protected area has been considered a lion 'conservation unit', together with South Luangwa National Park . There are over 200 lions in the park. The park has the largest cheetah population in Zambia and a healthy population of African leopards . The park is a stronghold of the African wild dog . Other carnivores include Selous's mongoose , white-tailed mongoose , marsh mongoose , African civet , honey badger , African clawless otter , spotted-necked otter , serval , caracal and African wild cat . The Kafue River and its tributaries are home to pods of hippopotamus and

1927-538: The river drops 550 metres (1,800 ft) over 60 kilometres (37 mi) through the Kafue Gorge . A second dam, the Kafue Gorge Dam , with a smaller reservoir, generates electricity. The lower Zambezi (originally a separate river) cut back through the rift valleys and eventually captured the Kafue. Their confluence is about 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Chirundu . See Kafue Railway Bridge for

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1974-561: The river in-between Chililabombwe and Chingola as well as in the city of Kitwe , both in the Copperbelt Province . The T2 road ( Cape to Cairo Road ) crosses the river 10 km south of the Kafue town centre. The Lusaka–Mongu Road crosses the river as the Kafue Hook Bridge in the Kafue National Park . As it flows through the Copperbelt the Kafue River is at great risk of pollution , not just from urban waste but from copper mine tailings . The swampy areas west of

2021-639: The river resources. In 1999, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) initiated dialogue between the Zambian Government, the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) and local people to restore a more natural flow pattern to water releases from the Itezhi-Tezhi Dam built on the Kafue River. This project heavily influenced development of Zambian Government policy on water resources and in February 2010,

2068-412: The south and centre. Large termite mounds in the forests host particular evergreen flora, notably the candelabra tree ( Euphorbia ingens ), and the jackalberry ( Diospyros mespiliformis ). These mounds can be huge and are hundreds, even thousands, of years old. Large and small open plains are found throughout the park, often dotted with small termite mounds. The Kafue River eventually flows into

2115-457: The south and south-east, and Kasempa in the north. The Kafue Game Reserve was created in the early 1920s to combat attrition of wildlife resources. Kafue National Park was established in the 1950s by Norman Carr , an influential British-Rhodesian conservationist. Establishment of the park may have been possible after the British colonial government moved the traditional owners of the area,

2162-482: The south-west and flows through forest and areas of flat rock over which it floods in the wet season, keeping to a channel about 50 m wide in the dry season. The river again develops intricate meanders and a maze of channels in a swampy floodplain, with oxbow lakes and lagoons. It flows 20 km west of the permanent part of the Lukanga Swamp which fills a circular depression, and which drains through

2209-401: The world. The Lochinvar and Blue Lagoon National Parks have been established on the flats. Around Mazabuka as the river gets closer to the town of Kafue , sugar plantations and other large agricultural estates have been established on the fertile black soil and use water from the river in the dry season. The Kafue Flats end at Kafue town and from there, as the rift valley gets deeper,

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