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Luphephe River
The Luphephe River flows from Guyuni area, north of Thohoyandou, to merge with Nwanedi River inside the Nwanedi nature reserve and resort, forming the Nwanedi – Luphephe dams. Immediately downstream of the reservoir the Nwanedi River continues to flow beyond the boundary of the nature reserve following a winding course across the Limpopo plain where it finally meets and drains into the Limpopo River. The Luphehe River and its tributaries provides water for agriculture, wildlife, and humans living within the Limpopo River Basin. The Nwanedi nature reserve and resort have been subjected to a few changes in methods of running their services with invisible changes, and tourism profits the surrounding communities. Because of this, rural areas becomes a better choice for tourism destinations, ranging from adventure, cultural, ethnic and ecotourism, to name just a few. The upper catchments of both Luphephe and Nwanedi rivers were found to have high ecological importance and sensitivity. Thus becomes important to protect the upper catchments into a natural or good state.
Luphephe River is a main perennial tributary of the Nwanedi River in Musina local municipality, Vhembe district municipality in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Its origin is in the Guyuni/Dzumbama/Tshitandani/Tshamulungwi area about 10 km before joining the Nwanedi River in its upper catchment area. The Luphephe river’s upper catchment area can be divided into the source zone and the Waterfall to Mountain torrent zone which are present throughout the whole of this stream.
The source zone commences at altitude of 976 meters and is approximately one kilometer long. The Waterfall to Mountain torrent zone flows between 915 and 610 meters above sea level over a series of small falls and rapids. The substratum of the entire stream is predominantly of a stony nature consisting of boulders, stones and large pebbles. Occasional sand patches occur.
Just before it enters Nwanedi Nature Reserve, and resort it joins the Savhani River. The Savhani River starts in Gwangwatini, passing Ngalavhani, Tshitanzhe, Musunda, Gumela, Helula 2, and Tshikotoni (formerly known as Manzhenge). Along the Luphephe river are cultivated plots right up to the water’s edge by the surrounding communities. Luphephe river merge with Nwanedi river inside the Nwanedi nature reserve, and resort, forming the Nwanedi – Luphephe dams.
In 1964, upon request by the Nwanedi irrigation Board, the Department of Water Affairs constructed Luphephe dam and Nwanedi dam, one on each of the Luphephe and the Nwanedi Rivers, for the purpose of irrigation. Luphephe Dam arch wall is 39 meters high with a capacity of 14 800 000 cubic meters. Nwanedi Dam arch wall is 36 meters high with a capacity of 5 310 000 cubic meters. The twin-dams and their outskirts area of 9000 hectares were proclaimed an Nwanedi nature reserve in 1979.
Originally the water of the Luphephe tributary joined the Nwanedi at the point below the present dam walls but with the construction of dams on both rivers, the position changed slightly as there is now a 2,5 meter deep canal joining the two water bodies approximately 100 meters from the respective walls. The vertical sluice gates in both dams are used to maintain water levels, and control flow of water downstream to the same canal. About 500 meters downstream the canal of the Nwanedi/Luphephe Dams there is a small low lying road concrete bridge that crosses the river, from and to Gumela Entrance Gate. It sometimes get flooded and deposition of sand upstream of the bridge.
The river continues in a northerly direction across the Limpopo Plain. The Limpopo plain is where the basin opened out outside the Nwanedi nature reserve and just downstream of the last narrow valley between hills, typically with steep rocky walls and a stream running through it. The river proceeds to the Cross Dam (Muswodi Tshisimani community refers to Cross-dam as Gondoza) which forms part of the lower reaches. The Cross dam was constructed to supply water for the irrigation of agricultural crops, game ranching, livestock farming and for neighbouring rural settlements. Immediately downstream of the Cross Dam in the valley where the watercourse has a wider width of 3 to 6 m, there is a bridge where the Tshipise/Pafuri tar road crosses the Nwanedi river.
The river proceeds until joining the Limpopo river at a point ten kilometers north of Malaladrift, on the Zimbabwe border at an altitude of 340meter. The river lies entirely within the Limpopo Water Management Area and lies in quaternary catchments with a gross area of 1136 km2 and a Gross Mean Annual Runoff of 24.5 10 (6)M3. The Nwanedi – Luphephe dams are the only significant South African dams in the catchment.
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Luphephe River
The Luphephe River flows from Guyuni area, north of Thohoyandou, to merge with Nwanedi River inside the Nwanedi nature reserve and resort, forming the Nwanedi – Luphephe dams. Immediately downstream of the reservoir the Nwanedi River continues to flow beyond the boundary of the nature reserve following a winding course across the Limpopo plain where it finally meets and drains into the Limpopo River. The Luphehe River and its tributaries provides water for agriculture, wildlife, and humans living within the Limpopo River Basin. The Nwanedi nature reserve and resort have been subjected to a few changes in methods of running their services with invisible changes, and tourism profits the surrounding communities. Because of this, rural areas becomes a better choice for tourism destinations, ranging from adventure, cultural, ethnic and ecotourism, to name just a few. The upper catchments of both Luphephe and Nwanedi rivers were found to have high ecological importance and sensitivity. Thus becomes important to protect the upper catchments into a natural or good state.
Luphephe River is a main perennial tributary of the Nwanedi River in Musina local municipality, Vhembe district municipality in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Its origin is in the Guyuni/Dzumbama/Tshitandani/Tshamulungwi area about 10 km before joining the Nwanedi River in its upper catchment area. The Luphephe river’s upper catchment area can be divided into the source zone and the Waterfall to Mountain torrent zone which are present throughout the whole of this stream.
The source zone commences at altitude of 976 meters and is approximately one kilometer long. The Waterfall to Mountain torrent zone flows between 915 and 610 meters above sea level over a series of small falls and rapids. The substratum of the entire stream is predominantly of a stony nature consisting of boulders, stones and large pebbles. Occasional sand patches occur.
Just before it enters Nwanedi Nature Reserve, and resort it joins the Savhani River. The Savhani River starts in Gwangwatini, passing Ngalavhani, Tshitanzhe, Musunda, Gumela, Helula 2, and Tshikotoni (formerly known as Manzhenge). Along the Luphephe river are cultivated plots right up to the water’s edge by the surrounding communities. Luphephe river merge with Nwanedi river inside the Nwanedi nature reserve, and resort, forming the Nwanedi – Luphephe dams.
In 1964, upon request by the Nwanedi irrigation Board, the Department of Water Affairs constructed Luphephe dam and Nwanedi dam, one on each of the Luphephe and the Nwanedi Rivers, for the purpose of irrigation. Luphephe Dam arch wall is 39 meters high with a capacity of 14 800 000 cubic meters. Nwanedi Dam arch wall is 36 meters high with a capacity of 5 310 000 cubic meters. The twin-dams and their outskirts area of 9000 hectares were proclaimed an Nwanedi nature reserve in 1979.
Originally the water of the Luphephe tributary joined the Nwanedi at the point below the present dam walls but with the construction of dams on both rivers, the position changed slightly as there is now a 2,5 meter deep canal joining the two water bodies approximately 100 meters from the respective walls. The vertical sluice gates in both dams are used to maintain water levels, and control flow of water downstream to the same canal. About 500 meters downstream the canal of the Nwanedi/Luphephe Dams there is a small low lying road concrete bridge that crosses the river, from and to Gumela Entrance Gate. It sometimes get flooded and deposition of sand upstream of the bridge.
The river continues in a northerly direction across the Limpopo Plain. The Limpopo plain is where the basin opened out outside the Nwanedi nature reserve and just downstream of the last narrow valley between hills, typically with steep rocky walls and a stream running through it. The river proceeds to the Cross Dam (Muswodi Tshisimani community refers to Cross-dam as Gondoza) which forms part of the lower reaches. The Cross dam was constructed to supply water for the irrigation of agricultural crops, game ranching, livestock farming and for neighbouring rural settlements. Immediately downstream of the Cross Dam in the valley where the watercourse has a wider width of 3 to 6 m, there is a bridge where the Tshipise/Pafuri tar road crosses the Nwanedi river.
The river proceeds until joining the Limpopo river at a point ten kilometers north of Malaladrift, on the Zimbabwe border at an altitude of 340meter. The river lies entirely within the Limpopo Water Management Area and lies in quaternary catchments with a gross area of 1136 km2 and a Gross Mean Annual Runoff of 24.5 10 (6)M3. The Nwanedi – Luphephe dams are the only significant South African dams in the catchment.