Ohlanga River

The Ohlanga River is a river in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, which empties into the Indian Ocean just north of Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal, north of Durban.[2] The river has extensive reed beds in the estuary at its mouth,[3] which is only 7 km further southwest from the mouth of the Mdloti River.[4] Presently this river is part of the Mvoti to Umzimkulu Water Management Area.[5]

Ohlanga River
uMhlanga (in Zulu), Umhlanga, Mhlanga
Location of the Ohlanga River mouth
EtymologyNamed after the Zulu word for "reed"[1]
Location
CountrySouth Africa
RegionKwaZulu-Natal
Physical characteristics
MouthIndian Ocean
 ⁃ location
North of Umhlanga Rocks
 ⁃ coordinates
29°42′9″S 31°6′0″E
 ⁃ elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Length28 km (17 mi)

Umhlanga conservancy

At the river's mouth, there is a lagoon, surrounded by the Umhlanga Conservancy. This area includes a 26 hectares (64 acres) Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve,[6] and a waste treatment works which is publicly accessible.[3] This area contains bushbuck, blue and grey duiker, and numerous birds, including the southernmost occurrence of crested guineafowl.[6]

Huberta, the hippopotamus

Huberta, the celebrity hippopotamus, stopped at the river on her way down the coast from the St Lucia Estuary to the Eastern Cape. An attempt was made to capture her while she was there.

See also

References
  1. Dictionary of Southern African Place Names
  2. Tourism KwaZulu-Natal, About Durban, retrieved September 2006
  3. South African Birding, Umhlanga Conservancy Archived 2006-10-03 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved September 2006
  4. A comparative study of zooplankton dynamics in two subtropical temporarily open/closed estuaries, South Africa
  5. Mvoti to Umzimkulu WMA 11
  6. KZN Wildlife,Umhlanga Lagoon Archived 2006-11-05 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved September 2006

Media related to Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve at Wikimedia Commons

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