The Lomela River is a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is one of the main tributaries of the
Busira River, which forms where the Lomela meets the
Tshuapa River
The Tshuapa River or Rivière Tshwapa is a river in Democratic Republic of the Congo, the main tributary of the Busira River.
Course
The river rises in the south of the Sankuru Nature Reserve and meanders north-northwest to Elinga-Mpango and on ...
.
The Busira is in turn the main tributary of the
Ruki River
The Ruki is a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is a left tributary of the Congo River. It may be seen as the lower reach of the Busira River, which in turn may be seen as the lower reach of the Tshuapa River.
Location
The Ruki is ...
, which enters the
Congo River
The Congo River ( kg, Nzâdi Kôngo, french: Fleuve Congo, pt, Rio Congo), formerly also known as the Zaire River, is the second longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the second largest river in the world by discharge ...
to the north of
Mbandaka
Mbandaka (, formerly known as Coquilhatville in French, or Coquilhatstad in Dutch) is a city on the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo located near the confluence of the Congo and Ruki rivers. It is the capital of Équateur Provin ...
.
Location
The Lomela River flows in a northwest direction from the
Sankuru Nature Reserve
Sankuru Nature Reserve (french: Réserve naturelle du Sankuru) is a protected area in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was created in November 2007 to protect a forest area home to bonobo, okapi and African forest elephant. The reserve ha ...
and across the
Salonga National Park
Salonga National Park is a national park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo located in the Congo River basin. It is Africa's largest tropical rainforest reserve covering about 36,000 km2 or . It extends into the provinces of Mai Ndombe, ...
.
The Busira River forms a few miles west of
Boende
Boende is a town and capital of Tshuapa Province, lying on the Tshuapa River, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is a river port with riverboats sailing to Kinshasa via Mbandaka and is also home to an airport. As of 2009 it had an estimated ...
where the Lomela River joins the
Tshuapa River
The Tshuapa River or Rivière Tshwapa is a river in Democratic Republic of the Congo, the main tributary of the Busira River.
Course
The river rises in the south of the Sankuru Nature Reserve and meanders north-northwest to Elinga-Mpango and on ...
from the left.
Navigation
The Lomela River is navigable from its confluence with the Tshuapa up to the terminus of
Lomela, a distance of .
It is winding and narrow, and flows through forested and marshy areas that flood in the high water seasons.
From the mouth of the river to
Itoko, a distance of , it always allows boats with a draft.
In high water periods it can take 350 ton barges, and in low water periods can take 150-250 ton barges in this section.
From Itoko to Lomami, at from its mouth, the rocky banks and narrow navigable channels make navigation dangerous.
From Lomami up to Lomela the river is open to navigation only from early June to early September, and only for 25 ton barges.
In some places the channels are less than wide and deep.
Environment
The Lomela flows through the heart of the central depression of the
Congo Basin.
Rainfall here averages annually, with no dry season.
The Lomela meanders through a area of permanent swamp forest from 20°35'E to 21°30'E, and through a area of swamp forest between 21°50'E and 22°18'E.
Part of the river is protected by the Salonga National Park.
Notes
Sources
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Rivers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo