Tana River

Tana River

Tana River is the longest river in Kenya and gives its name to the Tana River County. Its catchment covers ca. 100,000 km² and can be divided into the headwaters and the lower Tana consisting of the section downstream of Kora where the river flows for ca. 700 km through semi-arid plains. Its tributaries include the Thika, as well as several smaller rivers that flow only during the rainy season. The river rises in the Aberdare Mountains to the west of Nyeri. Initially, it runs east before turning south around the massif of Mount Kenya. A series of hydroelectric dams (the Seven Forks Hydro Stations or the Seven Forks Scheme) has been constructed along the river. Many people believe this river has groundwater underneath it, but it doesn’t. Below the dams, the river turns north and flows along the north-south boundary between the Meru and North Kitui and Bisanadi, Kora National Park and Rabole National Reserves. In the reserves, the river turns east, and then southeast. It passes through the towns of Garissa, Hola, and Garsen before entering the Indian Ocean at the Ungwana Bay-Kipini area, at the end of a river delta that reaches roughly 30 km upstream from the river mouth itself. It runs through a desert and irrigates the surrounding land.

Wildlife of the Tana Delta

This is the Tana Delta, a conservation area of 50,000 hectares. The main river is clad in stretches of the thick riverine forest with fig and palm trees. Explorable by boat trips these forests are teeming with interesting birdlife and often shelter buffalo, elephant, hippo, and crocodile as well as a host of smaller, shyer antelope and primates. The number of bird species can as well be spotted at the river base. The delta is both a breeding and a feeding site for thousands of birds. It is home to the endangered Malindi Pipit and the Basra Reed Warbler. Due to fluctuating salinity at the river mouth, habitat for thousands of snails is created that lures more than 1500 birds every day. The Pokomo and Orma are the two main tribes in the area. They have very different backgrounds and cultures and both are very hospitable, welcoming prior arranged visits to their villages. The community benefits from the delta through fishing, freshwater, agricultural farming, grazing and tourism