The Ohlanga River is a river in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, which empties into the Indian Ocean just north of uMhlanga, north of Durban.[2] The river has extensive reed beds in the estuary at its mouth,[3] which is only 7 km southwest from the mouth of the Mdloti River.[4] Presently, this river is part of the Mvoti to Umzimkulu Water Management Area.[5]
| Ohlanga River uMhlanga (in Zulu), Umhlanga, Mhlanga | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location of the Ohlanga River mouth | |
| Etymology | Named after the Zulu word for "reed"[1] |
| Location | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Region | KwaZulu-Natal |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mouth | Indian Ocean |
• location | North of Umhlanga Rocks |
• coordinates | 29°42′9″S 31°6′0″E / 29.70250°S 31.10000°E |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 28 km (17 mi) |
Umhlanga conservancy edit
At the river's mouth, a lagoon is surrounded by the Umhlanga Conservancy. This area includes a 26-hectare (64-acre) Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve,[6] and a waste treatment works which is publicly accessible.[3] This area contains bushbuck, blue and grey duiker, and numerous birds, including the southernmost occurrence of crested guineafowl.[6]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Dictionary of Southern African Place Names
- ^ Tourism KwaZulu-Natal, About Durban, retrieved September 2006
- ^ a b South African Birding, Umhlanga Conservancy Archived 2006-10-03 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved September 2006
- ^ A comparative study of zooplankton dynamics in two subtropical temporarily open/closed estuaries, South Africa
- ^ Mvoti to Umzimkulu WMA 11
- ^ a b KZN Wildlife,Umhlanga Lagoon Archived 2006-11-05 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved September 2006
External links edit
- KZN Wildlife page on the Umhlanga Lagoon nature reserve
- South African Birding page on bird species in the Umhlanga Conservancy
- Satellite view of the river
Media related to Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve at Wikimedia Commons