Fish River Flows Full Width Through The Fish River Canyon

11 Apr 2025

 

Good news for hikers who want to undertake the Fish River Canyon Hike in the coming months. The full width of the Fish River flows through the canyon. This means that there will be enough water along the hiking route during the dry months.

The flood wave in the lower part of the Fish River had been on the cards for some time. On Wednesday, Namibians shared photos and video clips of the Neckartal dam. Huge masses of water rushed over the upper edge of the dam wall into the depths (see video clip by Borrie Borman in the Facebook group “Reën in Namibia”).

The Neckartal dam dams the Fish River north of the Keetmanshoop - Lüderitz motorway. It is by far the largest reservoir in Namibia and was only completed a few years ago.

The Naute Dam south of Keetmanshoop was also overflowing. A few days ago the sluices were opened to reduce the pressure on the dam wall. The road below the wall was closed for the duration. The Naute Dam dams the Löwen Rivier, which flows into the Fish River.

The dry clay pan of Sossusvlei in the middle of the Namib dunes has been a lake for weeks. Many Namibians have travelled to the Namib to experience this rare natural spectacle.

Information, photos and videos about the recent rains in Namibia can be found on the Facebook groups 'Reën In Namibia' and 'Namibië Reën / Weer'. In the meantime, the rains have stopped.

 

Sven-Eric Stender