Water in the Fish River Canyon needs three and a half days to make it from Mariental to Gondwana Cañon Park. This is what hikers learnt when they witnessed a mysterious phenomenon in the northern part of the park on Saturday: even though no dark raincloud could be seen anywhere the Fish River gradually rose from sluggish to torrential. The sluice gates of Hardap Dam near Mariental had been opened the previous Tuesday. In three and a half days the flood wave travelled some 300 kilometres.
| Flood waves completely out of the blue - literally – also come about the natural way. During the 'rain months' of October to April (the months with an increased probability of rain) precipitation often takes the form of locally confined cloudbursts. Heavy rains in the catchment area of a seasonal river can result in waves which will transform the dry riverbed into a raging torrent within minutes, even more than a hundred kilometres downstream, although not a cloud is in sight. Therefore it is advisable to avoid camping in the middle of a seasonal river during the rainy season.The several days’ trekking tours in Gondwana Cañon Park partly follow the Fish River through the canyon - in almost pristine landscape. |
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A flood wave in the Fish River Canyon. It is a rare occasion to be able to witness this phenomenon with one's own eyes. |