Kulfo River
| Kulfo River | |
|---|---|
| Country | Ethiopia |
| Physical characteristics | |
| River mouth |
Lake Chamo 1,109 m (3,638 ft) 5°55′37″N 37°33′07″E / 5.927°N 37.552°ECoordinates: 5°55′37″N 37°33′07″E / 5.927°N 37.552°E |
The Kulfo River is a river in southern Ethiopia that rises in the western escarpment of the Main Ethiopian Rift in the Guge mountains.
It flows through Arba Minch and then through the Nechisar National Park on the isthmus between Lake Chamo and Lake Abaya. It usually drains into Lake Chamo but can also drain into Lake Abaya after heavy rains through a bifurcation located directly southwest of Arba Minch Airport.
The lower reaches of Kulfo River can act as the overflow channel (spillway) for Lake Abaya into Lake Chamo in case of high lake levels. The overflow point is directly below an alluvial fan at an elevation of 1,190 m (at 6°00′39″N 37°35′07″E / 6.0109°N 37.5854°E). The riverbed then discharges the excess lake water into Lake Chamo.[1]
An important bridge over the river was restored in 2006. The river has dried out considerably in recent years.
Cytotaxonomic analysis of larval chromosomes from the Kulfo River area has revealed the existence of two newly recognized species of Black flies in the river, Simulium kulfoense and S. soderense; yet unlike other Black flies these species are not carriers of Onchocerca volvulus.[2]
References
- ↑ Schütt, Brigitta, Thiemann, Stefan, Kulfo River, Southern Ethiopia:Regulator of Lake Level Changes in the Lake Abaya–Chamo Basin, Research Institute Water and Environment, Siegen University, Retrieved on June 22, 2008
- ↑ Hadisa, Mamuye, Wilson, Michael, Cobblaha, Millicent, Boakyea, Daniel, (2008) Cytotaxonomy of Simulium soderense and a redescription of the ‘Kulfo’ form, International Journal of Tropical Insect Science, Cambridge University Press, Retrieved on June 22, 2008