Tekezé River

The Tekezé River is a major river of Ethiopia, and forms a section the westernmost border of Ethiopia and Eritrea for part of its course. The river is also known as the Setit in Eritrea, western Ethiopia, and eastern Sudan. According to the "Statistical Abstract of Ethiopia for 1967/68", the Tekezé River is 608 kilometers long. The canyon which it has created is the deepest in Africa and one of the deepest in the world, at some points having a depth of over 2000 meters deep. [PDFlink| [http://www.irn.org/pubs/wrr/issues/WRR.V21.N4.pdf Ethiopia's Water Dilemma] |1.58 MiB ]

The Tekezé River rises in the central highlands of Ethiopia near Mount Qachen, from where it flows west, north, then west again, forming the westernmost border of Ethiopia and Eritrea. The river continues into northeastern Sudan, where at 14° 10' N, 36° E, the Tekezé joins the Atbarah River, the lower course of which is a tributary of the Nile. The Tekezé is perhaps the true upper course of the Atbarah, as the former follows the longer course prior to the confluence of the two rivers.

The names of its main tributaries in Ethiopia from its source are: on the right bank Tahali, Meri, Sellare, Sullo, Arekwa, Gheoa, Wari, Firafira, Tocoro and Gumalo Rivers; on the left bank Nili, Balagas, Saha, Bembea, Ataba, Zarima, and Kwalema Rivers.

History

The earliest known mention of the Tekezé is in an inscription from Axum of king Ezana of Axum, where he boasts of a victory in a battle on its lower banks, near "the ford of Kemalke". [Translated with commentary in G.W.B. Huntingford, "The Historical Geography of Ethiopia" (London: British Academy, 1989), pp. 56-59.] The Tekezé served as an early link between Ethiopia and Egypt; for example, the "Kebra Nagast", which received its current form in the 13th century, states that king Menelik I returned to Ethiopia by following this river (ch. 53).

The Ethiopian government announced in July, 2002, that they had formed a partnership with the China National Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Corporation to construct a hydroelectric dam on the Tekezé, which would generate 225 megawatts of electricity. The project would cost US$ 224 million, and take five years to complete. [ [http://english.people.com.cn/200205/31/eng20020531_96901.shtml China People's Daily Online] . Accessed 20 April 2006.] Oweys Ibrahim, the project coordinator, announced 12 December 2007 that construction was 82% complete, and included a 105-kilometer power line to Mekele. [ [http://www.waltainfo.com/EnNews/2007/Dec/03Dec07/40194.htm "Construction of Tekeze Hydro Electric Power Project nearing completion"] (Walta Information Center), accessed 2 December 2007.]

The Tekeze Hydro Electric project aims to construct the Highest double curve arch dam in Africa, topping the current highest, Lesotho. The contractors beind the project are CWGS and completion is estimated to be in 2009.

See also

* List of Eritrean rivers
*List of Ethiopian rivers
*List of rivers of Sudan

Notes

External links

* [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ethiopia.html Maps of Ethiopia] - Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection, University of Texas at Austin