Victoria Falls

Comments

  • AlanSAlanS

    cathyandsteve
    5:11PM
    Interesting.....the reason given that the falls were a trickle was because they were using the falls to supply electricity. Alan had been there in May the same year and the falls were pouring.

    Except for the very small power plant at the east end of the third gorge on the Zambia side of the falls and which is fed from intake pipes near the Avani Resort, all the hydro-electric generating plants, are downstream from Victoria Falls. It wouldn't measurably affect flow even if the gates were wide open. There are no hyrdo-electric plants upstream in Botswana, Namibia, Angola, or Congo, so they were weaving a story for you. :D The reason for the low water was the reduced rainfall in late November to early April in the highlands of Angola. The affects are not observed until almost a year later, however, due to the time it takes the water to make its way to the falls. Though fed from a different river, the Okavango, the source of the water for the Okavango Delta is also the mountains of Angola. It is the reason for the low water there as well. Factoid- unlike the water in the Zambeze which reaches the Indian Ocean in Mozambique, the water in the Okavango river and delta just dries and evaporates- it never reaches the sea!

  • AlanSAlanS

    Victoria Falls was pretty impressive, but it wasn't even at full or high flow when we were there. The Okavango Delta was pretty dry. Our Makoros ran aground during the brief attempt riding on the little stream in front of Eagle Island Camp.

  • Smiling SamSmiling Sam

    Cathy - Did you get any sense of disappointment with the water level being so low during your trip? I think I would have. It's like when you show up to a major attraction somewhere during your tour and you find out they have it shrouded in scaffolding. Can you imagine showing up in Giza for the Egypt: Jewel of the Nile tour and seeing that all the pyramids and Sphinx are shrouded in scaffolding and closed for any close up inspection. It's not likely that people would pay the money again to re-visit Egypt when the scaffolding is gone. Or something closer to the Victoria Falls water level issue would be going on the Canadian Capitols and Niagara Falls tour and having the water level so low that Niagara Falls has about dried up. At least there it would be easier/cheaper to re-visit.

  • BritishBritish
    edited May 2021

    I’ve been to the falls when they were in full flow and were a trickle. Been on the Zambia side and the Zimbabwe side Being a lover of geology, I actually found the exposed rocks very interesting and I’m glad I’ve seen it both ways. I’ve taken the helicopter ride twice and Mr. B has done the zipline over the River.
    Our understanding was that the reduced flow was partially the drought and partially that the river is being dammed up more in Zambia than it used to be. And of court it depends on the time of year that you go.

  • MCDMCD

    Smilin' Sam: When I was in Red Square, St. Basil's Cathedral was shrouded in scaffolding. Doesn't make me want to go back to Moscow, though. (Going back to Leningrad was on my bucket list, and I did that when it became St. Petersburg once again.)

  • SealordSealord
    edited May 2021

    This was May 2016 right after the rainy season. Okavango was also full of water. I think it is pretty normal for the falls to go down to a trickle during the dry season. I chose the date for our trip based on going right after the rainy season.

  • Smiling SamSmiling Sam

    I think Sealord’s picture is what people think of and hope to see when at Victoria Falls or any other world famous waterfall.

  • SealordSealord


    Eagle Island camp after the wet season.

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