Dechatu River

Dechatu River
Location
Country	Ethiopia
Physical characteristics
Source	Ahmar Mountains
• coordinates	9°27′59″N 41°47′13″E
• elevation	2,085 m (6,841 ft)
Mouth	Lake Abbe (river bed)
• coordinates	11°6′42″N 41°43′3″E[1]
• elevation	247 m (810 ft)
Length	359 km (223 mi)[1]
Basin size	21,165 km^2 (8,172 sq mi)[1]
Discharge
• location	Mouth[1]
• average	82.6 m^3/s (2,920 cu ft/s)
• minimum	8.27 m^3/s (292 cu ft/s)
• maximum	211 m^3/s (7,500 cu ft/s)
Basin features
River system	Lake Abbe Basin
Cities	Dire Dawa

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 it's 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 4 people and left 2 residents with heavy injuries, washing away more than 30 houses.

See also

• List of Ethiopian rivers

References

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Hundreds lost in Ethiopia flood, BBC News, August 7, 2006