Dry Usangu Plain at Alert 1

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Increasingly reduced spill water for boosting drainage Ruaha Park closing in on Alert 2

With colors manupulated using EOS NBR as standard availability of additional drainage for the downstream Ruaha National Park is further reduced on September 22, 2024 as compared to 10 days earlier (see image below). Alert 2 expected in days or week time.

Update water abstraction and spill from Mbarali and Ruaha River outside rice irrigation season on September 12, 2024

Kapunga Ifushiro Area Ruaha River on September 12 at the end of the Alert 1 Phase. Green is water to be recovered for drainage to Ruaha National Park.

August 23, 2024 spill/pre-irrigation at Kapunga

Limited but spill (green) color which can be diverted to Ruaha National Park on August 23, 2024 during Alert 1

Compare available water Usangu at Alert 1, 2024

The area with water on the Usangu Rice Plain in August 2024 just before Alert One is less than in previous years (2021 – 2023). The green color represents water (in vegetation, soil and free water). Opportunity for the basin authority to boost drainage from the Usangu Plain to the Ruaha River in the Park becomes less with less water availability in Usangu during the critical low flow period (starting at Alert One).

Usangu Rice Plain 1 month before zero flow in Ruaha (Mtera) July 15, 2021
Usangu Rice Plain 1 month before zero flow in Ruaha (Mtera) June 15, 2022
Usangu Rice Plain 1 month before zero flow in Ruaha (Mtera) July 25, 2023
Usangu Rice Plain on August 8, 2024 as NBR 20m pixels with green areas reflecting water, swamp vegetation, saturated soil (pre-irrigation) and irrigated crops. The Ruaha still flows at Mtera on August 8, 2024.

Late Rice Irrigation Usangu Plain

The NBR sequence of Usangu Rice Plain shows that the spilled drainage water after the rice has matured (June) is reducing rapidly. Which means that re-routing of the low flow to the Great Ruaha in the Park (Nyaluhanga), outflanking the areas with most spill, will benefit sustained flow of the river if started even before the announcement Alert One.

Kapunga Ifushiro Area (click to enlarge) adapted color scheme dark brown is dry and dark green is green vegetation, pre-irrigation and pools and swamps on June 29, 2024
Kapunga Ifushiro Area (click to enlarge) compare July 9, 2024 with image on the left from June 29, 2024 with reduction of open water and irrigation and reduced availability of water for boosting drainage from Usangu to Ruaha in National Park.

On June 9, 2024 limited reduction of late season irrigation in the Kapunga Ifushiro area accelerating the drying of the Great Ruaha and advancing the occurrence of zero flow at Mtera.

One June 4, 2024 a considerable area is still under irrigation. (NBR)