Geology -- Egypt; Nile River; Water-supply -- Egypt
15. =The Bahr Zeraf.=--The Bahr Zeraf is the right hand branch of the
Albert Nile which leaves the latter river north of Ghaba Shambe and
joins it again midway between Lake No and the Sobat river. It is fed
largely by the escape water of the Atem river brought down in a
traceable channel and in flood by torrents from the hilly region east of
Gondokoro. Beginning with a series of marshes and swamps, it gradually
establishes its right to be called a river and finally after a tortuous
and meandering course of about 270 kilometres tails into the Albert
Nile. In its lower reaches it is about 50 metres wide and from 2 to 4
metres deep in summer and 6 to 8 metres deep in flood. Its discharges
vary from 30 cubic metres per second in summer to 160 cubic metres per
second in flood. In its lower reaches the banks consist of solid earth,
proving that at one time it carried water other than that brought down
by the Albert Nile.
16. =The Sobat River.=--This river drains 156,000 square kilometres
lying between the catchment basins of Lake Rudolf and the Blue Nile. The
rainfall in the mountainous region of Gallaland is plentiful and
especially heavy in autumn, and were it not for the extensive lakes and
marshes in its middle course, it would be a torrent in flood. Regulated
and restrained by the lakes and marshes, this river has an
extraordinarily even rise and fall, as a reference to Table 24 will
certify. It is unfortunate that the Nasser gauge has been read so
interruptedly. The Doleb Hilla gauge is in the back water of the Albert
Nile and not very reliable. The discharges of the last four years have
varied from 40 cubic metres per second in low supply to 1000 cubic
metres in flood, though there have been years when the discharges have
fallen to zero in summer and when the flood must have exceeded 1500
cubic metres per second. April is the month of low supply and November
of maximum flood.
In its last 50 kilometres, the river has a deep, well defined channel
between high banks, which are never topped in the highest floods. The
width of waterway is about 110 metres and the depth 7 metres in summer
and about 10 to 11 metres in flood.
The principal tributaries of the Sobat are the Baro from the north-east
and east, and the Akobo and Pibor from the south-east and south. All the
tributaries meet and form extensive swamps from which the Sobat has its
origin. The village of Nasser is situated on the Sobat near its origin.
A gauge has been erected here.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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