Flow Returns in Ruaha River at Mtera
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The newest post and image entries are on top of the page. Scroll from the bottom upwards to follow the flow status timeline of the Ruaha River per location
Second Zero Flow Period at Mtera about 2 Weeks
The second zero flow period lasted 2 weeks, at the Mtera section of the Ruaha River some 350km from the source of the river. The river started flowing between January 7 and January 12, 2025. The image is a screenshot from the realtime flow monitor of the Ruaha River.
Zero Flow Ruaha River continuous at Mtera
January 7, 2025 screenshot of the Alert2 VDAS river section shows continued absence of flow just upstream of the confluence of the Great Ruaha River and the Little Ruaha River at Mtera.
Second Zero Flow Period started at Mtera January 2, 2025
Using the Realtime Ruaha River Flow Monitor the drying of the Ruaha River is observed on January 2, 2025. The Ruaha Rver saw the return of flow around December 7, 2025 but without the onset of the seasonal rains and start of rice irrigation on the Usangu Plains resulted in the second zero flow period at Mtera.
Drying Great Ruaha River at Mtera Expected Soon
Without the continuation of the seasonal rains in the upper reaches of the Ruaha and Mbarali Rivers, the return of zero flow at the Park HQ is expected. The increased abstraction at the Usangu Rice Plain is not matched by increased inflow resulting in decrease of flow and already results in drying of the River at Mtera.
Flow in Ruaha River returns at Mtera on December 7, 2024
On December 7, 2024 return of flow at Mtera can be observed some 20km upstream of the Mtera Reservoir. (Due to gap in satellite imagery the precise return cannot be defined remotely but expected between December 3 and December 7, 2024).
Alert Two or zero flow observed on September 24, 2024
Between September 19 and September 24, 2024 Zero Flow in the Ruaha River is observed the frist time during the low flow period after the tice irrigation season. September 24, 2024 is adopted as the start of the Alert 2 phase.
Closing in on zero flow Ruaha River Tanzania
On September 19, 2024 flow in the Ruaha at Mtera is observed.
September 18, 2024 flow status confirmed Ruaha at Mtera
Flow Status Ruaha River Mtera, September 14, 2024
Flow Status Ruaha Zero Flow Section September 9, 2024
Compare satellite images for visual observations Zero Flow Ruaha.
Images below demonstrate the capabilities of the processed Landsat (EOS) from 30m resolution false color (screenshot) the original Sentinel-2 (false color), and the by Maji Yetu processed images of the VDAS Ruaha River section.
The first occurrence of zero flow is monitored over the years at this section at Mtera. The Landsat image is the most recent (September 2, 2024) while the Sentinel-2 images are from August 30, 2024)
Revised Prediction Alert 2 Ruaha at Mtera August 21, 2024
The predicted zero flow at Mtera has been several weeks too early (see below). With the announcement of Alert 1 the expected drying of the Ruaha River at Mtera, is now the end of September 2024.
The current flow on August 20, 2024 at the Ruaha River section is represented by the false color sentinel-2 image (5m). The width of the image is 1.1 km.
Zero Flow Ruaha at Mtera predicted August 18
The flow status at Mtera shows decline and increase of exposed riverbed sediments since June 1. The image in false color is from June 16, 2024 (click to enlarge). Compare the image with the same location on June 1, 2024 below.
On June 1, 2024 the Ruaha River at Mtera is still swollen with water. The predicted first day of zero flow for 2024 is August 18, 2024
