Sanaga River
The Sanaga River (formerly German: Zannaga) is the largest river in Cameroon located in East Region, Centre Region and Littoral Region. Its length is about 603 km (375 mi) from the confluence of Djérem and Lom River. The total length of Sanaga-Djérem River system is about 1,067.5 km (663.3 mi). Djerem is the longest source of Sanaga River with a total length of 464.5 km.
| Sanaga River | |
|---|---|
 The Sanaga River after the Edea Hydroelectric Power Station | |
 Map of the Sanaga River drainage basin | |
| Location | |
| Country | Cameroon |
| Regions | East Region, Centre Region, Littoral Region |
| Cities | Edéa, Nanga Eboko, Bélabo |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Confluence of Djérem River and Lom River[1] |
| • coordinates | 5.323772°N 13.397769°E |
| • elevation | 628 m (2,060 ft) |
| Mouth | Bight of Biafra |
• coordinates | 3.559338°N 9.652175°E |
• elevation | 0 m |
| Length | 603 km (375 mi), with Djérem River 1,067.5 km (663.3 mi) |
| Basin size | 132,990 km2 (51,350 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Edéa |
| • average | 1,985 m3/s (70,100 cu ft/s) |
| • minimum | 234 m3/s (8,300 cu ft/s) |
| • maximum | 6,950 m3/s (245,000 cu ft/s) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Bight of Biafra, Cameroon (near mouth) |
| • average | 2,072 m3/s (73,200 cu ft/s)[2] |
| • minimum | 473 m3/s (16,700 cu ft/s)[2] |
| • maximum | 5,700 m3/s (200,000 cu ft/s)[2] |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Sanaga River |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Long River, Tete River, Sele River, Mfam River, Ngoba River |
| • right | Mbam River, Mbuku River, Ligene River, Djam River, Dorong River, Jape River, Uem River |
| Waterbodies | Song Loulou Hydroelectric Power Station, Edea Hydroelectric Power Station |
| Bridges | Japoma Bridge |
Course
The Sanaga River has its source at the Adamawa Plateau.[3] It is formed by the confluence of the Djérem and Lom Rivers in the north of the East Region. Djérem River has a total length of 464.5 km (288.6 mi) and Lom River a total length of 424.2 km (263.6 mi). Apart from these originating rivers, the largest tributary of Sanaga is Mbam River with a total length of 548 km (341 mi).[4]
Climate
The Sanaga River forms a boundary between two tropical moist forest ecoregions. The Cross-Sanaga-Bioko coastal forests lie to the north between the Sanaga River and the Cross River of Nigeria, and the Atlantic Equatorial coastal forests extend south of the river through southwestern Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, Cabinda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Hydrology
The flow of the river was measured at Edéa in m³/s[1]
Dams and reservoirs
Beginning at the headwaters, there are 2 dams on the Sanaga River:
| Dam | Nameplate capacity (MW) |
Reservoir | Surface area (km2) |
Total capacity (Mio. m³) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Song Loulou | 384 | 10 | ||
| Edea | 264 | |||
Transport
References
- PDF about the Hydrology of Cameroon (french)
- "FAO".
- Knaap, M. van der (1994). Status of Fish Stocks and Fisheries of Thirteen Medium-sized African Reservoirs. Food & Agriculture Org. p. 11. ISBN 9789251035818.
- Runge, Jürgen (2012-05-30). Landscape Evolution, Neotectonics and Quaternary Environmental Change in Southern Cameroon: Palaeoecology of Africa Vol. 31, An International Yearbook of Landscape Evolution and Palaeoenvironments. CRC Press. p. 148. ISBN 9780415677356.