via The water flow over Victoria Falls is rising fast – The Zimbabwean 19/01/2016
WATER levels are now rising steadily at Victoria Falls, but African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA) chairman Ross Kennedy says, regardless, Victoria Falls is a year round natural wonder.
“Like any piece of beautiful art, you can look at and admire at different times of the day, light, season, year, angles, and in this case from two countries, and appreciate different virtues and attributes of this incredible world wonder,” Mr Kennedy said.
“High or low water, Victoria Falls offers utterly different splendour, majesty, raw beauty and power – and so perhaps should in fact be a TWICE in your lifetime experience – to see them both?!”
A blog published by local tourism operator Wild Horizons last week stated:
The large fluctuation of the Zambezi River’s water levels are a part of a normal annual occurrence, with the minimum flow, which occurs in November, on average a tenth of the maximum flow in April, it said.
“This phenomenon means that viewing the waterfall at different times of the year produces vastly different experiences … in high flow the entire length of the Falls is a thundering wall of falling water, whereas in low water the underlying structure can be seen and visibility is far better,” it said.
The Zambezi River has been rising steadily since mid November, with more water now flowing over the world’s largest waterfall, following a drier than normal year last year.
Rafting Association of Zimbabwe chairman Skinner Ndlovu said daily water level readings from a hydrological station gauge upstream of Victoria Falls, show the Zambezi River has been rising by 0.5cm a day since Christmas.
“We are now just 15cm below the average water level of the Zambezi River at
Victoria Falls at this time of the year,” Mr Ndlovu said.
Low rainfall in the catchment area north of Victoria Falls during the 2014-2015 rainy season brought the water to its lowest level last year since 1995, which was a drier year, Mr Ndlovu said.
COMMENTS
Having worked at Victoria Falls in 1968, I can tell you that the magic has long gone, and it’s become just another unsophisticated vulgar commercial enterprise. Livingstone would have been even more pissed off.
That’s not true. Just got back from there and warthogs still walk through the streets, baboons and monkeys wander freely and elephants still drink at the river. Vic falls itself is awesome and beautiful and the Zimbabwean people are lovely.
who cares about Livingston
Well bugger me, some positive news!
So now Kariba will rise significantly. Raind in the catchment area have been good this year so the falls and Zambesi should rise as normal in April to July.
means that the turbines will run again.
Ah well any such news for Zimbabwe is good news. Whilst we appreciate rising water flows over the Falls, we cherish the prospect of Kariba rising as it may lessen our electricity woes. Thank you Jesus!
In 1982 Kariba dropped to 15% generating water remaining, 18 years later it finally reached full capacity again. Food for thought.