The Crocodile River (, ) is a river in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. At its confluence with the Marico River, the

Limpopo River The Limpopo River () rises in South Africa and flows generally eastward through Mozambique to the Indian Ocean. The term Limpopo is derived from Rivombo (Livombo/Lebombo), a group of Tsonga settlers led by Hosi Rivombo who settled in the mou ...

is formed.

Course

The Crocodile River has its

source Source may refer to: Research * Historical document * Historical source * Source (intelligence) or sub source, typically a confidential provider of non open-source intelligence * Source (journalism), a person, publication, publishing institute ...

in the

Witwatersrand The Witwatersrand (, ; ; locally the Rand or, less commonly, the Reef) is a , north-facing scarp in South Africa. It consists of a hard, erosion-resistant quartzite metamorphic rock, over which several north-flowing rivers form waterfalls, w ...

ridge, originating in Constantia Kloof,

Roodepoort Roodepoort ( ) is a city in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Formerly an independent municipality, Roodepoort became part of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, Johannesburg municipality in the late 1990s, along with Randburg ...

Gauteng Gauteng ( , ; Sotho-Tswana languages, Sotho-Tswana for 'place of gold'; or ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Situated on the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province by land area in South Africa. Although Gauteng accounts f ...

province. The first dam on the river is the Lake Heritage Dam just west of Lanseria International Airport. Just north of this airport is its confluence with the

Jukskei River The Jukskei River is one of the largest rivers in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is the southernmost river in the Crocodile River basin. Course The Jukskei begins in Ellis Park in Johannesburg. Its original spring was on the former Doornfontein ...

. Further downstream into the

North West province North West ( ; ) is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Mahikeng. The province is located to the west of the major population centre and province of Gauteng and south of Botswana. History North West was incorporated after the end of ...

are the

Hartbeespoort Dam Hartbeespoort Dam (also known as ''Harties'') is an arch type dam situated in the North West Province of South Africa. It lies in a valley to the south of the Magaliesberg mountain range and north of the Witwatersberg mountain range, about 35 ki ...

and the Roodekoppies Dam. Beyond the Hartbeespoort Dam, the stream passes the town of Brits. The Elands River joins downstream from the Vaalkop Dam, about 20 km further the Pienaars River joins its right bank, shortly after exiting the Klipvoor Dam. In

Limpopo Limpopo () is the northernmost Provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The term Limpopo is derived from Rivombo (Livombo/Lebombo), a ...

province, about 35 km further, the river passes the town of

Thabazimbi Thabazimbi is an iron mining town in the Limpopo province of South Africa. The town is at the feet of the Ysterberg and is surrounded by the Witfonteinrand and Boshofberg with the majestic Kransberg in the background. The name Thabazimbi means ' ...

and meanders for many kilometres through a sparsely inhabited area before joining the Marico River just west of Rooibokkraal at the limit of North West province to form the start of the Limpopo River.

Tributaries

The

tributaries A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream ('' main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which the ...

of the Crocodile River include the Bloubankspruit,

Hennops River The Hennops River is one of the larger rivers that drains Gauteng, South Africa. It has its source near Kempton Park, east of Johannesburg and meets the Crocodile River shortly before Hartbeespoort Dam. It is one of Gauteng's most polluted riv ...

, Magalies River, Sterkstroom River, Rosespruit, Skeerpoort River, Kareespruit, Elands River, Bierspruit River and Sundays River.Crocodile/Marico WMA 3
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Pollution

The Crocodile River is one of the most polluted river systems in

. The effects of pollution from two of South Africa's metropolitan areas,

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...

and

Tshwane The City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (; ; ), also known as the City of Tshwane (), is the metropolitan municipality that forms the local government of northern Gauteng in South Africa. The metropolitan area is centred on the city of Pre ...

, has been detrimental to the ecology of the system. Untreated industrial,

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

agricultural Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...

and

household waste Municipal solid waste (MSW), commonly known as trash or garbage in the United States and rubbish in Britain, is a waste type consisting of everyday items that are discarded by the public. "Garbage" can also refer specifically to food waste, ...

has deteriorated the water quality throughout most of its course and led to massive

algal bloom An algal bloom or algae bloom is a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in fresh water or marine water systems. It is often recognized by the discoloration in the water from the algae's pigments. The term ''algae'' encompass ...

s in the Hartbeespoort Dam and Roodekoppies Dam. Invasive plant species have negatively affected the integrity of the system. Unsustainable farming practices have led to

sediment Sediment is a solid material that is transported to a new location where it is deposited. It occurs naturally and, through the processes of weathering and erosion, is broken down and subsequently sediment transport, transported by the action of ...

overloads and erosion further harming the river.

Dams

The Crocodile River is part of the Crocodile (West) and Marico Water Management Area. Dams in the river basin are: *

* Roodekoppies Dam * Rietvlei Dam, in the

Rietvlei River The Rietvlei River is a small river in central Gauteng Province, South Africa. It feeds the wetlands of the Rietvlei Nature Reserve, before it flows into Rietvlei Dam, which is one of the main sources of water for Pretoria. The river downstream ...

Bon Accord Dam Bon Accord Dam is an earth-fill type dam located on the Apies River, some 15 km north of Pretoria. The dam comprises an earth embankment with a side spillway. The catchment area of the dam is 315 km2 and comprises primarily the City ...

and Leeukraal Dam, in the

Apies River __NOTOC__ The Apies River is a river that flows through the city of Pretoria, South Africa. Its source is located just south of the city (south of Erasmus Park) and it flows northward until it drains into the Pienaars River. The word "Apies" is ...

* Klipvoor Dam and Roodeplaat Dam, in the Pienaars/

Moretele River The Pienaars River is a river in South Africa. It is a tributary of the Crocodile River. A short section of this river is known as the Moretele River (i.e. approximately 20 km section between Haakdoornbult and the Klipvoor Dam). Tributarie ...

* Vaalkop Dam, in the Elands River *

Bospoort Dam Bospoort Dam is a gravity/earth-fill type dam on the Hex River (Elands River), Hex River, a tributary of the Elands River (North West), Elands River, part of the Crocodile River (Limpopo) basin. It is located near Rustenburg, North West Province, ...

, in the Hex River (Matshukubjana)

References

External links

Overview of the Crocodile (West)/Marico Water Management Area

Natural and anthropogenic influences on water quality: an example from rivers draining the Johannesburg Granite DomeA river runs through Limpopo ProvinceThe influence of land use on water quality and diatom community structures in urban and agriculturally stressed rivers
{{Greater Johannesburg, natural Rivers of Gauteng Rivers of North West (South African province) Rivers of Limpopo Tributaries of the Limpopo River