Lukuga River

The Lukuga River travels along the Katanga Plateau's northern side. The river emerges from Lake Tanganyika in Kalemie and travels westward through the Tanganyika District, eventually joining the Lualaba between Kabalo and Kongolo. The river usually contributes for 18% of the water loss from the lake, with the remainder coming through evaporation.

Mineralization is abundant in the Lukuga. The Albertine Rift's hydrothermal inputs influence the proportions of ionic contents where the Lukuga River exits the lake, with magnesium and potassium more frequent than calcium and sodium, as found also at the outflows of Lake Kivu and Lake Edward. The Lukuga is of great importance to hydrologists because the volume of water it transports from the lake changes dramatically over time.

The Lukuga River flow is highest in May and lowest in November, which corresponds to seasonal variations in lake level. Longer-term climatic fluctuations, such as the Neolithic Subpluvial circa 4000 BC, had a considerable impact on the river. The outflow has tended to grow since 1965, despite the fact that the Congo's total outflow has been reducing.

The Lukuga developed just recently, offering a pathway for aquatic species from the Congo Basin to populate Lake Tanganyika. Hippopotamus and crocodiles live in the river. Low-grade coal resources may be found north of Kalemie and Moluba along the river's tributaries. This river is one of longest Rivers in Congo.

Length: 320 km