Konkouré River

The Konkouré River arises in west-central Guinea and flows into the Atlantic Ocean.[1] Several dams on the river provide the country with much of its electricity.

The river originates in the Futa Jallon highland region and flows in a westerly direction 303 kilometres (188 mi) to the Atlantic Ocean north of the Baie de Sangareya (Sangareya Bay)[1] at 9°46'N, 14°19'W.[2] The Kakrima River is its major tributary.[2] The river delta covers 320 square kilometres (120 sq mi).[3] The "Lower Konkouré is a shallow, funnel shaped, mesotidal, mangrove-fringed, tide dominated estuary".[4] Rice farms have been established in the mangrove areas of the delta "with some success".[5]

In 1999, the Garafiri Dam was opened at a cost of $221 million; it can produce 75 megawatts (101,000 hp) of electricity.[1] Construction of a 240-megawatt (320,000 hp) hydroelectric dam on the river near Kaléta was completed in June 2015 and commissioned on 28 September at a cost of $526 million;[6] the 1,545-metre-long (5,069 ft) dam lies about 120 kilometres (75 mi)[7] or 85 miles (137 km)[6] north of the capital city of Conakry.[7] In 2015, the central government contracted with Chinese firms to begin building a 550-megawatt (740,000 hp) dam (the Souapiti Hydropower Station), near Souapiti, about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) further upstream,[7] which would almost double Guinea's power generation output at an estimated cost of $2 billion.[8][9] This would, however, require that 15,000 people move out of what would become a flood plain.[7]

The river is home to 96 recorded freshwater fish species.[10]

Vessels of up to 3 metres (9.8 ft) draft can navigate upstream to Konkouré; beyond that point, there are rapids.[11]