Great Ruaha

The Great Ruaha River is a river in south-central Tanzania that runs east into the Rufiji River from the Usangu wetlands and the Ruaha National Park. It runs through and marks the borders of three regions: Iringa, Dodoma, and Morogoro. The basin catchment area of the Great Ruaha River is 83,970 square kilometers. The basin's population is mostly supported by irrigation and water-related occupations like fishing and cattle raising.

Great Ruaha is approximately 475 kilometers (295 miles) long, with a catchment area of 68,000 square kilometers (26,000 square miles) and a mean annual discharge of 140 cubic meters per second. The Great Ruaha River accounts for 22% of the total flow in the Rufiji watershed basin. The Great Ruaha River is home to 38 different kinds of fish.

The Kipengere Range in the west Njombe Region serves as the river's headwaters. The Great Ruaha River then flows down to the Usangu plains, an important location in Tanzania for irrigated agriculture and animals. The river finally flows south to the Kidatu Dam after passing through the Mtera Dam. These two produce almost half of Tanzania's power. The river travels southward through the Selous Game Reserve before joining the Rufiji River. The major rivers that flow into the Great Ruaha River are the Lukosi, Yovi, Kitete, Sanje, Little Ruaha, Kisigo, Mbarali, Kimani, and Chimala, while the minor rivers are the Umrobo, Mkoji, Lunwa, Mlomboji, Ipatagwa, Mambi, and Mswiswi.

Total Length: 295 miles