Doring River

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Doring River
Doringrivier, Doorn River
Rivers in South Africa

Rivers in South Africa

Data
location South Africa ( Western Cape Province , Northern Cape )
River system Cape Olifants River
Drain over Cape Olifants River  → Atlantic
source southern Swartruggensberge
33 ° 4 ′ 10 ″  S , 19 ° 27 ′ 22 ″  E
muzzle at Klawer in the Cape Olifants River Coordinates: 31 ° 52 ′ 19 ″  S , 18 ° 38 ′ 25 ″  E 31 ° 52 ′ 19 ″  S , 18 ° 38 ′ 25 ″  E

The Doring River ( Afrikaans Doringrivier , formerly English Doorn River ) is an approximately 350 (according to other information: 310) kilometer long body of water in the South African provinces of the Western Cape and Northern Cape . Its headwaters are in the southwest of the Tankwa Karoo , in the northward sloping flanks of the eastern Hex River Mountains ( Matroosberg Massif) and the southern foothills of the Swartruggensberge . The river flows south of the small town of Klawer into the Cape Olifants River . In its middle and lower reaches, the Doring River forms the provincial border between the Western Cape and the Northern Cape.

Characteristic

The spring region has a good annual rainfall and its spring arms can absorb a lot of surface water. However, a steady flow of water in the Doring River is essentially only to be expected in winter between the end of June and mid-September. It is periodic over the course of the year, at the same time strongly fluctuating and can temporarily assume episodic cycles. The floods in winter can have devastating effects in the lower reaches; Bridge structures are designed accordingly generously in this area.

The sandy , gravel-laden river bed promotes drying out on its surface. Even the water-rich tributaries on the left, such as the Kruis River and Groot River, which bring water from the high-precipitation mountain areas of the Cape Fold Mountains, are unable to prevent a dry river bed outside of winter. The right-hand tributaries Tankwa (Tanqua) River and Orloogskloof River overcome the rye field Escarpment of the large marginal step . Their water flow is described as periodic-episodic. They only make a minor contribution to the discharge volume of the Doring River .

Considerations for the construction of larger dams in the course of his bed were always considered to have little prospect, because the water from the Karoo landscape is considerably polluted by massive sedimentation and the gravel. A possible stowage volume would be reduced considerably in a few years.

Tributaries

  • left side: Groot River (with Riet R. and Matjes R.), Tra-Tra River, Biedouw River, Brandewyn River, Koebee River.
  • on the right: Tankwa River (with Rhenoster R., Ongeluks R., Gemsbok R.), Bloukraans River (with Bos R.), Brak River.

Dams

There are larger dams in the catchment area of ​​the Doring River only in the tributaries.

  • Oudebaaskraal Dam (Tankwa River).

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e Traugott Molter: Water balance and irrigation agriculture in the Cape . Franz Steiner Verlag , Wiesbaden 1966, pp. 107-108.
  2. ^ A b Department of Water Affairs and Forestry: State of Rivers Report: Olifants / Doring and Sandveld Rivers 2006. Doring River and Tributaries . at www.dwaf.gov.za , PDF document p. 20 (PDF, English).