| Mouth coordinates | 11°6′42″N 41°43′3″E[1] |
|---|---|
| Country | Ethiopia |
| Cities | Dire Dawa |
| Source 1 | Ahmar Mountains |
| Source1 elevation | 2,085 m (6,841 ft) |
| Source1 coordinates | 9°27′59″N 41°47′13″E |
| Mouth | Lake Abbe (river bed) |
| Mouth elevation | 247 m (810 ft) |
| Length | 359 km (223 mi)[1] |
| Discharge1 location | Mouth[1] |
| Discharge1 min | 8.27 m3/s (292 cu ft/s) |
| Discharge1 avg | 82.6 m3/s (2,920 cu ft/s) |
| Discharge1 max | 211 m3/s (7,500 cu ft/s) |
| River system | Lake Abbe Basin |
The Dechatu River is a river of eastern Ethiopia.[2] It rises in the Ahmar Mountains to flow north through the second largest city in the country, Dire Dawa, towards the Awash River. The river appears to lose itself in the Cantur Plain (Buren Meda) north of Dire Dawa, while its river bed weaves through mountains to reach Lake Abbe in a small fan delta.[1]
Floods
The river floods periodically during the June-to-September rainy season. In 2005 around 200 people were killed by floodwaters and crocodiles. A flood in August 2006 killed at least 300, including 200 in the city of Dire Dawa. The city suffered extensive damage and thousands of its inhabitants were displaced. Communications infrastructure was damaged and the main road to the capital Addis Ababa was cut off.[3] On 24 April 2020, as a result of heavy rain in the upland catchment, the flooded Dechatu river killed four people and left two residents with heavy injuries, washing away more than thirty houses.
See also
References
- ^ Lehner, Bernhard; Verdin, Kristine; Jarvis, Andy (2008-03-04). "New Global Hydrography Derived From Spaceborne Elevation Data". Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union. 89 (10): 93–94. doi:10.1029/2008eo100001. ISSN 0096-3941
- ^ Adane, Girma Berhe; Kassa, Asfaw Kebede; Toni, Abebe Teklu; Tekle, Shewandagn Lemma (2022-05-31). "Spatial runoff estimation under different land uses and rainfall frequencies: case of flood-prone Dechatu River Catchment, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia". Arabian Journal of Geosciences. 15 (11): 1092. doi:10.1007/s12517-022-10360-7. ISSN 1866-7538
- ^ Hundreds lost in Ethiopia flood, BBC News, August 7, 2006