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The Turkwel River (sometimes spelled Turkwell River) is a river flowing from
The Turkwel River (sometimes spelled Turkwell River) is a river flowing from Mount Elgon
Mount Elgon is an extinct shield volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya, north of Kisumu and west of Kitale. The mountain's highest point, named "Wagagai", is located entirely within Uganda.
on the border of Kenya and Uganda to Lake Turkana
Lake Turkana (), formerly known as Lake Rudolf, is a lake in the Kenyan Rift Valley, in northern Kenya, with its far northern end crossing into Ethiopia. It is the world's largest permanent desert lake and the world's largest alkaline lake. B ...
. The river is called the Suam River from its source to the border at West Pokot County of Kenya. The name Turkwel is derived from the Turkana name for the river, ''Tir-kol'', which means a river that "withstands the wilderness". The Turkwel begins on the lush green slopes of Mount Elgon
Mount Elgon is an extinct shield volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya, north of Kisumu and west of Kitale. The mountain's highest point, named "Wagagai", is located entirely within Uganda.
and the Cherangani Hills, then traverses the Southern Turkana Plains, crosses the Loturerei Desert near Lodwar and empties into the world's largest desert lake, Lake Turkana
Lake Turkana (), formerly known as Lake Rudolf, is a lake in the Kenyan Rift Valley, in northern Kenya, with its far northern end crossing into Ethiopia. It is the world's largest permanent desert lake and the world's largest alkaline lake. B ...
. The river's flow is seasonally varied, and it is subject to flash floods in the rainy season.
The controversial Turkwel Dam was built by the Kenyan government from 1986 to 1991 with the help of France. The plan was to harness the waters of the Turkwel. The project was initially supposed to cost KSh.4 billion/=, but ended up costing more than KSh.20 billion/=. The dam partially filled the Turkwel Gorge and created the Turkwel Gorge Reservoir.
References
Rivers of Kenya Mount Elgon Tributaries of Lake Turkana West Pokot County {{Kenya-river-stub