Basin area 7,910 km² | Basin size 7,910 km (3,050 sq mi) Mouth Shashe River | |
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Main source Matopo Mission, Matobo District, Zimbabwe Discharge Average rate:36.0 mm/a (1.42 in/year) unit flow | ||
The Thuli River, former name Tuli River, is a major tributary of the Shashe River in Zimbabwe. It rises near Matopo Mission, Matobo District, and flows into the Shashe River near Tuli village.
Contents
Hydrology
The Thuli is an ephemeral river, with declining annual unit runoff.
Major tributaries of the Thuli River include the Mtshabezi, Mtshelele and Mwewe Rivers.
The Thuli River below Thuli-Makwe Dam is a sand filled channel, with alluvial aquifers in the river channel.
Towns along the river
The Thuli River passes through no major settlements, only the following business centres:
Bridges and crossings
There are five main bridges over the Mzingwane River:
There are also a number of fords and crossing points, including:
Development
In addition to a number of small weirs, there is one major dam on the Thuli River:
The Mtshabezi River (the principal left-bank tributary) is dammed at Mtshabezi, Sheet and Blanket. Mtshabezi Dam will augment the water supply for the City of Bulawayo, once a connecting pipeline has been completed. Sheet and Blanket Dams supply water to the City of Gwanda and Blanket and Vubachikwe Mines.
Two additional dam sites have been selected further downstream: