Fish River (Namibia) | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | Namibia |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | |
• location | Near Mariental |
Mouth | Orange River |
Length | 650 km (400 mi) |
The Fish River (Visrivier in Afrikaans, Fischfluss in German) is a river in Namibia. It is 650 km long, flowing from the Naukluft Mountains[1] 150 km to the Hardap Dam near Mariental. From there the flow is entirely blocked,[1] all further flow downstream coming from tributaries downstream from the dam. The flow of the river is seasonal; in winter the river can dry up completely. Despite this, the river is the site of the spectacular Fish River Canyon, a canyon 160 km long, and at points as much as 550 m deep.
The outflow of the Fish River joins the Orange River at the border with South Africa about 100 km from the Atlantic Ocean.