Transcript RIVER ATBARA (TEKEZZE) BASIN By: Eng. Hayder Yousif Bakhiet Director/ Nile Waters Dept. Ministry of Irrigation & Water Resources Kasala/ March 2007

RIVER ATBARA
(TEKEZZE) BASIN
By:
Eng. Hayder Yousif Bakhiet
Director/ Nile Waters Dept.
Ministry of Irrigation & Water Resources
Kasala/ March 2007
Basin Description:
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Location:
• Lies between Lat.12 : 30 & 15 : 00 N Long. 35 : 40 & 39:40 E
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Tributaries:
• There are many small tributaries and the main two are:
Atbara & Setit (Takazze). They joined inside Sudan D/S
AlShouak
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Area:
• Tekazze river flows from the most remote source a distance of
1216 Km to the confluence with river Atbara, covers an area of
68,800 square Km Ethiopia, Sudan & Eriteria
• Atbara Basin area above and below the confluence is 31,400
and 43,600 square Km. respectively.
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Rainfall:
• Rainfall season is shorter than the Blue Nile Basin, average
annual is 950 mm (Aug. – Sept.)
• It is dry (not completely) from November to May.
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The Tagazze lies in a deep ravine a few hundred
meters wide at the bottom, shut in by steep rocky
hillsides.
The highest point of the Atbara (Takazze) Basin is
about 3500 m.
The average level of the catchment area is 1750 m.
For the greater part of the Basin inside Sudan, the
Basin is well below the general level of the plain.
The plain width is between 1 to more than 4 Km.
and the actual trough is 100 to 300 m.
The slope of River Atbara inside Sudan is 45 cm/km.
The topography is rough and uneven
Land Use & Climate
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The climate is arid
Natural vegetation is sparse, with some acacia
scrub, scattered bushes & Dom palms.
People along the river relied on livestock and
small areas of irrigation land.
Estimated annual sediment load carried by the
river Atbara is about 30 million tones.
Available Hydrological Records
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Data are available for river Atbara & Setit cover
the period 1911 – Date.
Average annual flow of river Setit is 9.500 Milliar
cubic meters, river Atbara is 3.0 Milliar cubic
meters.
Total annual of river Atbara measured at
Alshouak is 12.5 Milliard cubic m.
Atbara Gauge
Setit Gauge
1/1/05
1/1/03
1/1/01
1/1/99
1/1/97
1/1/95
1/1/93
1/1/91
1/1/89
1/1/87
1/1/85
1/1/83
1/1/81
1/1/79
1/1/77
1/1/75
1/1/73
1/1/71
1/1/69
1/1/67
1/1/65
Gauge in meters
River Atbara Gauge Hydrograph
River Atbara & Setit Dailly Gauge Hydrograph
(1965 - 2006)
18.0
16.0
14.0
12.0
10.0
8.0
6.0
4.0
River Atbara Flow Hydrograph
River Atbara & Setit daily Flow Hydrograph
(1965 - 2006)
1200
Flow in Mm^3
1000
800
600
400
200
0
12-Jun-1970
22-Nov-1975
3-May-1981
13-Oct-1986
Atbara
Setit
24-Mar-1992
3-Sep-1997
13-Feb-2003
Thank U