Lugenda River
Encyclopedia
The Lugenda or Lujenda is a river of northern Mozambique
. It flows in a north-south direction from Lake Amaramba
/Lake Chiuta
and is the largest tributary of the Ruvuma River
. It joins the Luambala River
at 13°26′12"S 36°18′20"E. The river valley is reported to be only 800 feet (243.8 m) above sea level. North of Lake Chiuta, those on the west bank call it the Msambiti River. At one point, the Lugenda splits into several streams with islands between them, some of whom are populated such as the island Achemponda.
Elephants loom large in the life of people of the Lugenda River Valley. The tribal people, inhabiting the river valley for several thousand years, are mainly the Yao and Makua
tribals. Other groups residing here are Ngoni, Marave and Matambwe people.
}, has the literal meaning “a large river.”
The Lugenda River, which joins the main Rivuma River system in its the lower reaches from the south east, rises near Lake Chilwa, from the small Lake Chiuta
(1700 feet (518.2 m)). The river flows for a length of 300 kilometres (186.4 mi) before it joins the Ruvuma River at Negomano
village. Its origin is marked by a narrow wooded ridge (a sand bar ridge which is 25 metres (82 ft) high and 9,000 years old)) that separates the swamps on the southern side of Chuta Lake from the Lake Chilwa. The stream at the outlet of the Lake Amaramba is about 80 metres (262.5 ft) wide. It is a swampy water body between its origin from the Chitwa Lake and Lake Amaramba. Mecula Mountain (1441 metres (4,727.7 ft)) is the central mountain in the valley. The mountain is rich in vegetation and is considered an important botanical area of the preserve in the valley. The Legunda River and Mecula Mountain are thus the important tourist destinations in Mozambique's northern province.
The river has a complex flow pattern. It flows in the westerly direction through "Pandanus palm-braided channels". On the east, its flow is through rocky gorge with the entire river vanishing into "slot canyons" displaying broad sandy waterways. This is the location of the breeding colonies of globally threatened Africa
n skimmers.
The Chilwa and Chiuta lakes which form the headwaters of the Lugenda River and forms the border between Mozambique and Tanzania
flows ultimately to the Indian Ocean
, inferred to be in northeast-southwest trending depressions.
The flow contribution from the Lugenda River to the Ruvuma River is estimated to be 18 cubic kilometres (4.3 cu mi). Most of the basin area of the river lies in the Niassa Province
where the irrigation
potential is reported to be 200000 hectares (494,210.3 acre).
It is a slow-moving river and often appears, as it emerges from the Lake Amaramba, as a lake due to its large expanse of water. The river valley has fertile alluvial soil with good water resources as it is fed by many perennial streams on both banks. The perennial water sources in the valley thus have good cultivation to sustain its inhabitants. Tobacco
is grown on the river banks. Wild fig and other species of trees are also found in the valley.
The river is bridged at Luambala where its width is about 150 metres (492.1 ft).
in quartz
and granite
rock formations. Crystallized lime carbonate is also found. Coal
is extracted from two coal fields, located on both sides of the river, one close to the Pemba Bay and the other near Itule town. Iron ore is extracted from large areas to the west of the Pemba Coalfield. Gold
is also found in the valley in upper reaches of the Rarico River, a tributary of the Lugenda River.
. German
s, under the command of General Von Letttow-Vorbeck, crossed the Ruvuma River at Negomano
and entered the Portuguese
held Mozambique in search of food for his troops. In December 1917, after crossing the river, the general with his army marched south along the Lugenda River and arrived at Metarica. One of the battalions dispatched towards the Mecula Mountain in search of food had to fight a fierce battle with the Portuguese. Witness to this battle are seen in the form of a few graves on the hill slopes at Mecula, the district capital of Nissa.
and Lurio conservation area. This route is being developed for game and ecotourism envisaging fishing, wildlife viewing, boat rides and so forth.
Lugenda Wilderness Camp, which is part of the Wildlife Preserve, is on the eastern bank of the Lugenda river, amongst the Ngalongue Mountains (inselbergs); inselberg is a common international term used to define isolated rock hill, knob, ridge, or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding plain
. The Wilderness Camp is an integral component of the Africa
n wild life ecosystem. Safaris are arranged from this camp for visits to the African wilderness. The camp has 16 east-African styled tents, a well turned out accommodation for visitors.
Pemba Airport is the nearest airport to the Wilderness Camp and air services are operated by CFA Air Charters with light aircraft. At the eastern edge of the river, the camp has dirt roads, fairly well maintained for the purpose of safari tours to facilitate wild life tracking. Canoeing
is a popular sport in the river, apart from climbing of the inselbergs in the park area from the "bush fly camps" along the river. There is also a proposal to set up another ecotourism camp on the Lugenda River, about 200 kilometres (124.3 mi) away from Lichinga
.
Fauna and flora
Lugenda Wildlife Reserve also known as the Niassa Reserve
, named after the province where it is situated, covers an area of 45000 square kilometre. It has the endemic Johnston’s Impala
, Niassa Wildebeest
and Boehm’s Zebra
. The reserve also has wild dogs
. It has 400 species of birds, out of which four species are globally threatened. Taita Falcon
, Southern Banded Snake-Eagle, African Skimmer
and Starling’s Woodpecker
are the bird species found, apart from the rare African Pitta
.
Forty species of fish
have been recorded in the river, which sustains a substantial fishing industry providing economic sustenance to the local people. It has a rich population of hippos
. Crocodiles are reported in deep pools in the river. Canoe safari is reported to be a success. A new species known as girdle lizard
has been recorded. The mountainous forests of the preserve harbour large number of silver hornbills, buffalo
and herds of wild elephants. Black Heron
, Black Rough-winged Swallow
, Emerald-spotted Dove
, Green-winged Glossy Starling
, Iladadah, Little Egret
, Shelley's Francolin
, South Africa
n Pochard
, and Spot-headed Weaver
-bird also frequent the area. The Niassa Preserve as such is formed of 95% of the preserve’s biomass is vegetation. It has 21 types of plant species and 191 species of trees and shrubs.
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
. It flows in a north-south direction from Lake Amaramba
Lake Amaramba
Lake Amaramba is a shallow lake in Mozambique, near the border with Malawi. Located in the Nyasa plateau, it is north of Lake Chiuta. The lakes are separated by a sandy ridge and a channel links the two lakes. On the western side of the channel, the connecting waterway is known as the River...
/Lake Chiuta
Lake Chiuta
Lake Chiuta is a shallow lake on the border between Malawi and Mozambique. It lies to the north of Lake Chilwa and to the south of Lake Amaramba, which has no outlet, and the lakes are separated by a sandy ridge...
and is the largest tributary of the Ruvuma River
Ruvuma River
Ruvuma River, formerly also known as the Rovuma River, is a river in East Africa, forming during the greater part of its course the border between Tanzania and Mozambique . It is long, with a drainage basin in size...
. It joins the Luambala River
Luambala River
The Luambala is a river of Mozambique. It flows through Niassa Province in a northeast-southwest direction. The Luambala valley was surveyed during the Portuguese Nyasaland. The river was reported to have steep sides and a rock bed. To the east of Cassembe, the Luambala connects with the Lugenda...
at 13°26′12"S 36°18′20"E. The river valley is reported to be only 800 feet (243.8 m) above sea level. North of Lake Chiuta, those on the west bank call it the Msambiti River. At one point, the Lugenda splits into several streams with islands between them, some of whom are populated such as the island Achemponda.
Elephants loom large in the life of people of the Lugenda River Valley. The tribal people, inhabiting the river valley for several thousand years, are mainly the Yao and Makua
Makua people
The Makua are the largest ethnic group in northern Mozambique, and also have a large population across the border in the Masasi District of Mtwara Region in southern Tanzania. They live in the region to the north of the Zambezi River...
tribals. Other groups residing here are Ngoni, Marave and Matambwe people.
Etymology
The etymology of the word Lugenda in Yao language, a Bantu language spoken by the Yao people (East Africa) in AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
}, has the literal meaning “a large river.”
Geography
Lake Chiuta
Lake Chiuta is a shallow lake on the border between Malawi and Mozambique. It lies to the north of Lake Chilwa and to the south of Lake Amaramba, which has no outlet, and the lakes are separated by a sandy ridge...
(1700 feet (518.2 m)). The river flows for a length of 300 kilometres (186.4 mi) before it joins the Ruvuma River at Negomano
Negomano
Negomano or Ngomano is a village in northern Mozambique, in Cabo Delgado Province. It is located on the border with Tanzania on the confluence of the Ruvuma River and the Lugenda River....
village. Its origin is marked by a narrow wooded ridge (a sand bar ridge which is 25 metres (82 ft) high and 9,000 years old)) that separates the swamps on the southern side of Chuta Lake from the Lake Chilwa. The stream at the outlet of the Lake Amaramba is about 80 metres (262.5 ft) wide. It is a swampy water body between its origin from the Chitwa Lake and Lake Amaramba. Mecula Mountain (1441 metres (4,727.7 ft)) is the central mountain in the valley. The mountain is rich in vegetation and is considered an important botanical area of the preserve in the valley. The Legunda River and Mecula Mountain are thus the important tourist destinations in Mozambique's northern province.
The river has a complex flow pattern. It flows in the westerly direction through "Pandanus palm-braided channels". On the east, its flow is through rocky gorge with the entire river vanishing into "slot canyons" displaying broad sandy waterways. This is the location of the breeding colonies of globally threatened Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n skimmers.
The Chilwa and Chiuta lakes which form the headwaters of the Lugenda River and forms the border between Mozambique and Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
flows ultimately to the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
, inferred to be in northeast-southwest trending depressions.
The flow contribution from the Lugenda River to the Ruvuma River is estimated to be 18 cubic kilometres (4.3 cu mi). Most of the basin area of the river lies in the Niassa Province
Niassa Province
Niassa is a province of Mozambique. It has an area of 129,056 km² and a population of 1.027.037 . It is the most sparsely populated province in the country. Lichinga is the capital of the province. There are a minimum estimated 450,000 Yao people living in Mozambique...
where the irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
potential is reported to be 200000 hectares (494,210.3 acre).
It is a slow-moving river and often appears, as it emerges from the Lake Amaramba, as a lake due to its large expanse of water. The river valley has fertile alluvial soil with good water resources as it is fed by many perennial streams on both banks. The perennial water sources in the valley thus have good cultivation to sustain its inhabitants. Tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
is grown on the river banks. Wild fig and other species of trees are also found in the valley.
The river is bridged at Luambala where its width is about 150 metres (492.1 ft).
Mineral resources
The river valley formed by the Lugenda River, which flows within deep banks, is rich in iron ore intercalatedIntercalation (chemistry)
In chemistry, intercalation is the reversible inclusion of a molecule between two other molecules . Examples include DNA intercalation and graphite intercalation compounds.- DNA intercalation :...
in quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
and granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
rock formations. Crystallized lime carbonate is also found. Coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
is extracted from two coal fields, located on both sides of the river, one close to the Pemba Bay and the other near Itule town. Iron ore is extracted from large areas to the west of the Pemba Coalfield. Gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
is also found in the valley in upper reaches of the Rarico River, a tributary of the Lugenda River.
History
The river valley, and the Nissa Wild Life Preserve enclosed within it, has a history linked to World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
s, under the command of General Von Letttow-Vorbeck, crossed the Ruvuma River at Negomano
Negomano
Negomano or Ngomano is a village in northern Mozambique, in Cabo Delgado Province. It is located on the border with Tanzania on the confluence of the Ruvuma River and the Lugenda River....
and entered the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
held Mozambique in search of food for his troops. In December 1917, after crossing the river, the general with his army marched south along the Lugenda River and arrived at Metarica. One of the battalions dispatched towards the Mecula Mountain in search of food had to fight a fierce battle with the Portuguese. Witness to this battle are seen in the form of a few graves on the hill slopes at Mecula, the district capital of Nissa.
Ecology
Lugenda River Valley formed by the river is part of the rich ecological corridor comprising the Messalo and Rurumana Lugenda, Messalo and Rumana rivers, which form the Niassa ReserveNiassa Reserve
Niassa Reserve is a nature reserve in Cabo Delgado Province and Niassa Province, Mozambique. Covering over , it is the largest protected area in the country. The reserve is part of the Trans-Frontier Conservation Area and links to the Tanzanian Lukwika-Lumesule Game Reserve...
and Lurio conservation area. This route is being developed for game and ecotourism envisaging fishing, wildlife viewing, boat rides and so forth.
Lugenda Wilderness Camp, which is part of the Wildlife Preserve, is on the eastern bank of the Lugenda river, amongst the Ngalongue Mountains (inselbergs); inselberg is a common international term used to define isolated rock hill, knob, ridge, or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding plain
Plain
In geography, a plain is land with relatively low relief, that is flat or gently rolling. Prairies and steppes are types of plains, and the archetype for a plain is often thought of as a grassland, but plains in their natural state may also be covered in shrublands, woodland and forest, or...
. The Wilderness Camp is an integral component of the Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n wild life ecosystem. Safaris are arranged from this camp for visits to the African wilderness. The camp has 16 east-African styled tents, a well turned out accommodation for visitors.
Pemba Airport is the nearest airport to the Wilderness Camp and air services are operated by CFA Air Charters with light aircraft. At the eastern edge of the river, the camp has dirt roads, fairly well maintained for the purpose of safari tours to facilitate wild life tracking. Canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
is a popular sport in the river, apart from climbing of the inselbergs in the park area from the "bush fly camps" along the river. There is also a proposal to set up another ecotourism camp on the Lugenda River, about 200 kilometres (124.3 mi) away from Lichinga
Lichinga
Lichinga is the capital city of Niassa Province of Mozambique. It lies on the Lichinga Plateau at an altitude of 1360 metre, east of Lake Niassa . The town was founded as Vila Cabral as a farming and military settlement...
.
Fauna and flora
Niassa Reserve
Niassa Reserve is a nature reserve in Cabo Delgado Province and Niassa Province, Mozambique. Covering over , it is the largest protected area in the country. The reserve is part of the Trans-Frontier Conservation Area and links to the Tanzanian Lukwika-Lumesule Game Reserve...
, named after the province where it is situated, covers an area of 45000 square kilometre. It has the endemic Johnston’s Impala
Impala
An impala is a medium-sized African antelope. The name impala comes from the Zulu language meaning "gazelle"...
, Niassa Wildebeest
Wildebeest
The wildebeest , also called the gnu is an antelope of the genus Connochaetes. It is a hooved mammal...
and Boehm’s Zebra
Zebra
Zebras are several species of African equids united by their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds...
. The reserve also has wild dogs
African Wild Dog
Lycaon pictus is a large canid found only in Africa, especially in savannas and lightly wooded areas. It is variously called the African wild dog, African hunting dog, Cape hunting dog, painted dog, painted wolf, painted hunting dog, spotted dog, or ornate wolf...
. It has 400 species of birds, out of which four species are globally threatened. Taita Falcon
Taita Falcon
The Taita Falcon is one of the smallest falcons in the Southern African Sub-region. It was first described from the Taita Hills of Kenya from which it derives its name. It is spread throughout the eastern portion of subsaharan Africa but is mostly found in Kenya...
, Southern Banded Snake-Eagle, African Skimmer
African Skimmer
The African Skimmer is a skimmer that lives in Senegal to northern Congo River and southern Nile Valley, southern Tanzania to the Zambezi Valley, and then to Natal and Angola.- Appearance :...
and Starling’s Woodpecker
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
are the bird species found, apart from the rare African Pitta
African Pitta
The African Pitta, Pitta angolensis, is a species of bird in the Pittidae family.It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique,...
.
Forty species of fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
have been recorded in the river, which sustains a substantial fishing industry providing economic sustenance to the local people. It has a rich population of hippos
Hippos
Hippos is an archaeological site in Israel, located on a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Between the 3rd century BC and the 7th century AD, Hippos was the site of a Greco-Roman city. Besides the fortified city itself, Hippos controlled two port facilities on the lake and an area of the...
. Crocodiles are reported in deep pools in the river. Canoe safari is reported to be a success. A new species known as girdle lizard
Cordylus
The genus Cordylus includes a wide variety of small to medium sized spiny lizards from Africa, collectively called girdle-tailed or girdled lizards. All are diurnal and ovoviviparous . Most species are rupicolous while a few species are arboreal or live in burrows...
has been recorded. The mountainous forests of the preserve harbour large number of silver hornbills, buffalo
African Buffalo
The African buffalo, affalo, nyati, Mbogo or Cape buffalo is a large African bovine. It is not closely related to the slightly larger wild Asian water buffalo, but its ancestry remains unclear...
and herds of wild elephants. Black Heron
Black Heron
The Black Heron also known as the Black Egret, is an African heron. It is a medium-sized , black-plumaged heron with yellow legs and feet. It is found south of the Sahara Desert, including Madagascar, and prefers shallow open waters, such as the edges of freshwater lakes and ponds...
, Black Rough-winged Swallow
Black Rough-winged Swallow
The Black Saw-wing or Black Rough-winged Swallow is a small passerine bird in the swallow family.The Black Rough-winged Swallow breeds in open wooded habitats, and has a preference for wetter areas, although some races occur in mountain grassland habitat...
, Emerald-spotted Dove
Dove
Pigeons and doves constitute the bird family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerines. In general terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably...
, Green-winged Glossy Starling
Starling
Starlings are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Sturnidae. The name "Sturnidae" comes from the Latin word for starling, sturnus. Many Asian species, particularly the larger ones, are called mynas, and many African species are known as glossy starlings because of their iridescent...
, Iladadah, Little Egret
Little Egret
The Little Egret is a small white heron. It is the Old World counterpart to the very similar New World Snowy Egret.-Subspecies:Depending on authority, two or three subspecies of Little Egret are currently accepted....
, Shelley's Francolin
Shelley's Francolin
Shelley's Francolin is a species of bird in the Phasianidae family. The species is named after Sir Edward Shelley, cousin of George Ernest Shelley.-Distribution and habitat:...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n Pochard
Pochard
The Common Pochard, Aythya ferina, is a medium-sized diving duck.The adult male has a long dark bill with a grey band, a red head and neck, a black breast, red eyes and a grey back. The adult female has a brown head and body and a narrower grey bill band. The triangular head shape is distinctive...
, and Spot-headed Weaver
Weaver
The Ploceidae, or weavers, are small passerine birds related to the finches.These are seed-eating birds with rounded conical bills, most of which are from Sub-Saharan Africa, with fewer species in tropical Asia. A few species have been introduced outside their native range. The weaver group is...
-bird also frequent the area. The Niassa Preserve as such is formed of 95% of the preserve’s biomass is vegetation. It has 21 types of plant species and 191 species of trees and shrubs.