Swakop River

Swakop
River
The Moon landscape of the Swakop River Valley near Richthofen
Country	Namibia
Region	Erongo
Tributaries
- left	Omusema, Khan River
Source	Eros Mountain near Otjozonjati
- elevation	1,560 m (5,118 ft)
Mouth
- location	Atlantic Ocean
- elevation	0 m (0 ft)
- coordinates	22°40′S 14°32′E / 22.667°S 14.533°E / -22.667; 14.533Coordinates: 22°40′S 14°32′E / 22.667°S 14.533°E / -22.667; 14.533
Length	350 km (217 mi)
Basin	30,100 km2 (11,622 sq mi)

The Swakop River (Khoekhoe: Tsoaxaub) is a major river in the western part of Namibia, reaching the sea at the southern edge of the city of Swakopmund (German for Mouth of the Swakop). The Swakop is an ephemeral river, its run-off is roughly 40 million cubic metres per annum.

The Swakop River, along with its main tributary Khan, is one of the largest temporary water-bearing rivers in the dry western part of Namibia. It is 460 km long and has a 30,100 km ² large catchment area. In Swakopmund, it flows into the South Atlantic. The name comes from the Khoekhoe languages of the Nama and Damara Tsoa-xaub. Tsoa means ‘excrement opening’ or ‘anus‘ while xaub stands for the ‘contents of excrement.’ This name derives from the observation that the flow of large amounts of brownish sludge in the rain with it and discharges into the Atlantic Ocean.

The area around the river mouth and the surrounding dunes are also known for rich bird life and some unusual plant species (like the Welwitschia) that use the regular fog drifting in from the sea to sustain themselves in the absence of other moisture.

Groundwater levels in the area have also dropped about 0.3 m further due to the presence of two big dams built on the Swakop River.

Notwithstanding the river’s irregular flow, some agriculture is undertaken in the Swakop River valley, thus the region is well known for its fresh produce, especially tomatoes, asparagus and olives. There are some fears of salt and uranium (possibly natural, possibly from the Rössing uranium mine) endangering this farming industry.