The Konkouré River arises in west-central

Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

and flows into the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

. Several dams on the river provide the country with much of its electricity. The river originates in the

Futa Jallon Fouta Djallon ( ff, 𞤊𞤵𞥅𞤼𞤢 𞤔𞤢𞤤𞤮𞥅, Fuuta Jaloo; ar, فوتا جالون) is a highland region in the center of Guinea, roughly corresponding with Middle Guinea, in West Africa. Etymology The Fulani people call the re ...

highland region and flows in a westerly direction to the Atlantic Ocean north of the Baie de Sangareya (Sangareya Bay) at 9°46'N, 14°19'W. The Kakrima River is its major

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or 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 drain the surrounding drainage ...

. The river delta covers . The "Lower Konkouré is a shallow, funnel shaped, mesotidal,

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evoluti ...

-fringed, tide dominated

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...

". Rice farms have been established in the mangrove areas of the delta "with some success". In 1999, the Garafiri Dam was opened at a cost of $221 million; it can produce of electricity. Construction of a

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

dam on the river was completed in June 2015 and commissioned on 28 September at a cost of $526 million; the dam lies about or north of the capital city of

Conakry Conakry (; ; sus, Kɔnakiri; N’ko: ߞߐߣߊߞߙߌ߫, Fula: ''Konaakiri'' 𞤑𞤮𞤲𞤢𞥄𞤳𞤭𞤪𞤭) is the capital and largest city of Guinea. A port city, it serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea. Its p ...

. In 2015, the central government contracted with Chinese firms to begin building a dam (the Souapiti Hydropower Station), near Souapiti, about further upstream, which would almost double Guinea's power generation output at an estimated cost of $2 billion. This would, however, require that 15,000 people move out of what would become a

flood plain A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...

. The river is home to 96 recorded freshwater fish species. Vessels of up to draft can navigate upstream to

Konkouré ''For the river having its source near the town, see Konkouré River'' Konkouré is a town and sub-prefecture in the Mamou Prefecture in the Mamou Region Mamou Region ( Pular: 𞤁𞤭𞥅𞤱𞤢𞤤 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤥𞤵𞤲) is locate ...

; beyond that point, there are rapids.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Konkoure River Rivers of Guinea