Coordinates: 2°40′S 14°30′E / 2.667°S 14.500°E / -2.667; 14.500

Ogooué River

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Ogooué
File:Bassin versant de l'Ogooué-fr.svg
The Ogooué watershed
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Location
CountryGabon, Republic of the Congo
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationKengue, Republic of the Congo
 • elevation840 m (2,760 ft)
MouthAtlantic Ocean
 • location
Port Gentil, Gabon
 • coordinates
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 • elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Length1,200 km (750 mi)[1]
Basin size225,217.5 km2 (86,957.0 mi2)[2]
Discharge 
 • locationOgooué Delta
 • average(Period: 1971–2000)5,148.05 m3/s (181,802 cu ft/s)[2]
 • minimum1,950 m3/s (69,000 cu ft/s)[4]
 • maximum7,340 m3/s (259,000 cu ft/s) (13,500 m3/s (480,000 cu ft/s)[4]
Discharge 
 • locationLambaréné
 • average(Period: 1971–2000)4,485.4 m3/s (158,400 cu ft/s)[2]
 • minimum1,610 m3/s (57,000 cu ft/s)[3]
 • maximum9,440 m3/s (333,000 cu ft/s)[3]
Discharge 
 • locationNdjolé
 • average(Period: 1971–2000)3,194.8 m3/s (112,820 cu ft/s)[2]
 • minimum1,200 m3/s (42,000 cu ft/s)[3]
 • maximum6,600 m3/s (230,000 cu ft/s)[3]
Discharge 
 • locationLastoursville
 • average(Period: 1971–2000)1,305 m3/s (46,100 cu ft/s)[2]
 • minimum650 m3/s (23,000 cu ft/s)[3]
 • maximum2,800 m3/s (99,000 cu ft/s)[3]
Discharge 
 • locationFranceville
 • average(Period: 1953–1981)253 m3/s (8,900 cu ft/s)[3]
 • minimum122 m3/s (4,300 cu ft/s)[3]
 • maximum520 m3/s (18,000 cu ft/s)[3]
Basin features
ProgressionAtlantic Ocean
River systemOgooué River
Tributaries 
 • leftLetili, Lebombi, Lekedi, Leyou, Lolo, Offoue, Ngounié
 • rightMpassa, Léconi, Sebe, Lassio, Dilo, Ivindo, Nké, Okano, Abanga

The Ogooué (or Ogowe), also known as the Nazareth River, some 1,200 km (750 mi) long, is the principal river of Gabon in west-central Africa and the fourth largest river in Africa by volume of discharge, trailing only the Congo, Kasai and Niger. Its watershed drains nearly the entire country of Gabon, with some tributaries reaching into the Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea.[5]

Geography

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Course

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The source of the Ogooué River was discovered in 1894 by Mary Kingsley, an English explorer who travelled up the banks by steamboat and canoe.[citation needed] The river rises in the northwest of the Bateke Plateaux near Kengue, Republic of Congo.[5] It runs northwest, and enters Gabon near Boumango. Poubara Falls are near Maulongo. From Lastoursville up to Ndjole, the Ogooué is non-navigable due to rapids. From the latter city, it runs west, and enters the Gulf of Guinea near Ozouri, south of Port Gentil. The Ogowe Delta is quite large, about 100 km long and 100 km wide.

Delta

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A 30,000 ha site in the delta of the Ogooué River, including much of Mandji Island, has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports significant populations of many bird species.[6]

Basin

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The Ogooué Basin is 223,000 km2 (86,000 mi2), of which 189,500 km2 (73,200 mi2) or 85 percent lies within Gabon.[7]

Ogooué River Basin area by country:[7]

Country Area %
km2 mi2
File:Flag of Cameroon.svg Cameroon 5,200 2,000 2.34
File:Flag of Equatorial Guinea.svg Equatorial Guinea 2,000 770 0.89
File:Flag of Gabon.svg Gabon 189,500 73,200 84.98
File:Flag of the Republic of the Congo.svg Republic of the Congo 26,300 10,200 11.79
 Ogooué basin total 223,000 86,000 100.00

Distance from river mouth:[8]

Station River

kilometer

(rkm)

Altitude

(m)

Lambaréné 183 12
Ngounié* 196 13
Abanga* 242 20
Ndjolé 280 25
Okano* 314 40
N'golo* 359 72
Offoué* 424 142
Booué 451 161
Ivindo * 481 180
Dilo* 503 182
Lolo* 512 186
Lassio* 535 200
Lastoursville 616 226
Sébé* 685 242
Leyou* 696 243
Léconi* 714 248
Lékabi* 725 249
Lébombi* 774 270
Mpassa* 802 280
Baniaka* 871 426

*River in confluence

Gauging stations along the Ogooué River:[2]

Station River kilometer (rkm) Elevation (m) Drainage basin

(km2)

Average discharge (m3/s) *
Ogooué Delta 0 0 225,217.5 5,148.05
Lambaréné 183 12 205,228.5 4,485.4
Ndjolé 280 25 160,106.9 3,191.5
Booué 451 161 130,931.4 2,746.9
Lastoursville 616 226 45,767.1 1,305
Franceville 802 280 8,570.2 233.4
* Period: 1971–2000

Discharge

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Ogooué River multiannual average discharge at gauging stations. Period from 1971 to 2000.[2]
Period Average discharge (m3/s)
Ogooué Delta
5,148
Lambaréné
4,485
Ndjolé
3,192
Booué
2,747
Lastoursville
1,305
Franceville
233
Month Average monthly flow

(m³/s) at delta[9][10]

Dry years Normal Wet years
DEC–FEB 3,744.5 4,285 4,826.5
MAR–MAY 4,883 6,336 7,789
JUN–AUG 1,625.3 1,997 2,188.7
SEP–NOV 6,935 8,041 9,147
Average 4,296.7 5,142.25 5,987.8
Ogooué River discharge (m3/s) at Lambaréné gauging station (period from 1929–2017):
Water year Min Mean Max Water year Min Mean Max
1929/30 1,250 3,569 5,030 1969/70 2,193 5,386 9,533
1930/31 1,390 4,238 6,980 1970/71 1,649 4,214 8,220
1931/32 1,590 4,259 7,580 1971/72 1,739 3,826 6,871
1932/33 1,380 4,126 6,630 1972/73 1,720 4,199 7,100
1933/34 2,390 5,449 10,800 1973/74 1,570 4,252 8,260
1934/35 1,850 4,888 6,690 1974/75 1,670 4,642 8,940
1935/36 1,690 4,612 7,850 1975/76–1979/80: No data
1936/37 1,930 4,835 8,210 1980/81 1,550 4,290 7,820
1937/38 1,780 4,791 7,180 1981/82 1,740 4,100 6,900
1938/39 2,170 5,905 11,300 1982/83 1,140 3,520 8,550
1939/40 1,950 4,762 6,930 1983/84 902 4,230 6,530
1940/41 1,740 3,936 6,460 1984/85 2,200 4,670 7,610
1941/42 1,430 3,707 5,720 1985/86 1,610 4,060 6,800
1942/43 1,370 4,292 6,880 1986/87 1,580 3,690 7,160
1943/44 2,330 5,874 9,450 1987/88 1,970 4,940 8,880
1944/45 2,140 5,273 7,980 1988/89 1,780 4,700 9,810
1945/46 1,690 4,600 8,490 1989/90 2,060 5,030 10,800
1946/47 2,340 5,861 9,310 1990/91–1994/95: No data
1947/48 2,120 5,545 9,780 1995/96 1,300 4,450 8,310
1948/49 2,640 5,912 10,600 1996/97 1,320 4,216 6,510
1949/50 1,950 5,300 9,600 1997/98 1,110 3,661 6,300
1950/51 1,640 5,280 9,470 1998/99 1,290 3,595 7,940
1951/52 2,350 5,660 9,080 1999/00 1,280 4,798 8,350
1952/53 2,050 4,770 7,200 2000/01 1,290 3,971 7,770
1953/54 1,300 3,597 5,690 2001/02 1,200 4,629 8,260
1954/55 1,900 4,383 7,530 2002/03 1,570 4,722 8,030
1955/56 1,400 4,278 8,100 2003/04 1,900 3,703 5,590
1956/57 1,660 4,252 7,420 2004/05 1,350 3,717 6,020
1957/58 979 3,093 5,110 2005/06 1,500 4,695 8,640
1958/59 1,580 4,179 8,250 2006/07 1,740 4,883 8,720
1959/60 2,160 5,073 9,350 2007/08 1,640 5,112 11,170
1960/61 2,190 5,970 11,000 2008/09 2,520 5,850 9,180
1961/62 1,910 5,227 8,210 2009/10 1,480 3,985 7,260
1962/63 2,170 4,799 6,830 2010/11 1,510 3,690 5,790
1963/64 1,810 4,647 8,500 2011/12 2,190 4,038 9,420
1964/65 2,100 5,074 7,510 2012/13 960 3,931 7,270
1965/66 2,150 5,500 9,470 2013/14 1,420 4,588 8,370
1966/67 1,600 4,482 10,100 2014/15 1,090 3,890 6,930
1967/68 1,823 4,451 7,557 2015/16 980 3,794 8,090
1968/69 2,093 5,020 7,607 2016/17 1,510 3,846 6,490
Source:[11][12][13][14][15][1]

Tributaries

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File:Ogooué.JPG
Ogooué River
File:Fan women and child, banks of the Ogoway.jpg
Fan women and child, banks of the Ogoway. From The earth and its inhabitants, Africa (published 1890-1893 [v.1, 1892] )

The Ogowe River receives water of numerous tributaries including:

The main river and tributaries are (sorted in order from the mouth heading upstream):
Left

tributary

Right

tributary

Length

(km)

Basin size

(km²)

Average discharge

(m3/s)

Ogooué 1,200 225,217.5 5,148.05
Ogooué Delta
Kolo 496.8 13.33
Nkomi 170 5,816.6 194.01
Akiri 20 248.1 8.91
Lower Ogooué
Olimbé 1,352.9 43.41
Lac Ompindi 325.8 12.28
Alooué 552 21.45
Mangoué 992.5 41.97
Oronga 1,248.6 44.86
Nkovié 521.8 17.6
Agouma 1,983.3 70.11
Lac Zilé 322.4 9.15
Ngounié 680 32,636.7 1,002.4
Biné 752.6 21.03
M'boumi 109 1,606.4 35.38
Abanga 226 8,204.4 190.31
Missanga 32 476.5 9.88
Middle Ogooué
Lébé 376.5 7.01
Okano 280 11,257.2 192.91
Machoka 559.8 9.78
Ngolo 1,023.1 14.62
Mingoué 113 1,178.9 21.17
Leledi 2,038.5 33.23
Lope 378.9 5.07
Offoué 235 7,673.9 166.63
Nké 1,883.8 26.04
Ivindo 686 63,201.4 1,112.4
Dilo 190 3,166 54.3
Lolo 240 11,212.7 278.17
Lassio 160 5,413.3 114.44
Upper Ogooué
Lehibou 410.4 9.81
Momba 643.1 15.34
Ouolo 640.7 16.08
Sébé 292 10,069.7 236.97
Leyou 134 1,771 69.82
Lékoni 252 7,592.8 344.36
Lékabi 1,542.3 46.67
Lekedi 48 1,244.5 34.63
Lébombi 91 3,769.4 106.89
Mpassa 163 6,339.6 312
Baniaka 749.9 21.38
Letili 1,682.1 43.46
Loua 361.6 11.03
Djoulou 509.3 12.71
Loungou 481.4 11.42
Léfou 382.7 8.88
Djouéli 377.8 12.19
Léouké 1,006.9 23.32
Nsiele 364.7 14.06
Source:[2][8]

Ecology

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It mostly consists of undisturbed rainforest with some savanna grassland where the mid-year dry season is longest. It is home to a high biodiversity. All three species of African crocodile, for instance, occur in the river: the Nile crocodile, the dwarf crocodile, and the slender-snouted crocodile. It is also the type locality for the catfish Synodontis acanthoperca.[16]

Economy

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The Ogooué is navigable from Ndjole to the sea. It is used to bring wood to the Port Gentil Harbour.

The Ogowe Basin includes several major conservation reserves, including Lope National Park.

The catchment area has an average population density of 4 people per km². Towns along the river include Ayem, Adané, Loanda, Lambaréné, Ndjole, Booué, Kankan, Maulongo, Mboungou-Mbadouma, Ndoro, Lastoursville, Moanda, and Franceville near the Congo border.

Towns in Congo include Zanaga.

The first European explorer to trace the river to its source was Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, who traveled in the area in the 1870s.[5]

References

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  • Perusset André. 1983. Oro-Hydrographie (Le Relief) in Geographie et Cartographie du Gabon, Atlas Illustré led by The Ministère de l'Education Nationale de la Republique Gabonaise. Pg 10-13. Paris, France: Edicef.
  • Petringa, Maria. Brazza, A Life for Africa. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2006. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).. Describes Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza's extensive explorations of the Ogoué River basin.
  • National Geographic. 2003. African Adventure Atlas Pg 24,72. led by Sean Fraser.
  • Gardinier David. 1994. Historical Dictionary of Gabon 2nd Edition. USA: The Scarercrow Press, Inc.
  • Direction General de L'Environnement.1999. Stratégie nationale et Plan D'action sur la biodiversité biologique du Gabon.
  • The Atlas of Africa. Pg 201. by Regine Van Chi-Bonnardel. Jeune Afrique Editions.
  • Lerique Jacques. 1983. Hydrographie-Hydrologie. in Geographie et Cartographie du Gabon, Atlas Illustré led by The Ministère de l'Education Nationale de la Republique Gabonaise. Pg 14-15. Paris, France: Edicef.
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File:Wikisource-logo.svg
Wikisource has the text of The New Student's Reference Work article "Ogowe".

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