savuti channel
Oct 8th, 2006, 02:37 AM
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savuti channel
Is there running water in the savuti channel? or simply puddles of water here and there. ? In 2001 sept there was no water at all at the HTAB
savuti channel site.Thanks for any info.
savuti channel site.Thanks for any info.
Oct 8th, 2006, 05:36 AM
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Hi! Do a search on here, there were a couple of trip reports from June/July which gave an indication that there was actually some running water.....i'm not sure. Also chk James' website, i think he has some info on the savuti channel.
www.eyesonafrica.net
Hari
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Hari
Oct 8th, 2006, 12:01 PM
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i was in the channel in the beginning of sept and the channel is definitely flowing. it was about 5 or 6 km up the channel from zib lagoon and the water was still pushing forward. this isnt a result of heavy rains alone...there must be some tectonic movements working here. if it continues, there is going to be a massive change happening in the linyanti area in the coming years.
Oct 8th, 2006, 02:39 PM
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"there must be some tectonic movements working here"- bigcountry.
Almost certainly. On the other side of Zib lagoon, the water's been creeping <b>uphill</b> along the Magwegqana (Selinda) spillway towards the south-west for a couple of years now. One wonders if sometime in the near future, it will meet in the middle with the flow from the delta panhandle. Quite interesting changes in wildlife already seem to be happening.
John
Almost certainly. On the other side of Zib lagoon, the water's been creeping <b>uphill</b> along the Magwegqana (Selinda) spillway towards the south-west for a couple of years now. One wonders if sometime in the near future, it will meet in the middle with the flow from the delta panhandle. Quite interesting changes in wildlife already seem to be happening.
John
Oct 9th, 2006, 09:09 AM
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I was just there, too. After three previous trips to the Channel, to see water flowing in it was breathtaking. I spent about six hours there with our private guide it was an amazing phenomenon to see water in what has been a completley dry riverbed for the last 24 years. We drove through the Channel, stopping to watch an elephant cross the water, photographing him as we lay on our stomachs in the grass. Then we stopped to take pics of us standing at the water's end -- about 10Ks from the Zib Lagoon. Finally, we went to Rock Pan, left the vehicle and sat at the pan's edge photographing elephants for an hour-and-a-half. It was awesome -- they were so close and there is something so incredible about being on foot around wildlife. The whole day was extraordinary and memorable and I think it ranks as one of my favorite experiences from my eight trips.
Oct 9th, 2006, 03:24 PM
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"very intersting stuff.. i even read that they are making plans to rebuild the bridge across the channel"- bigcountry.
That's right. And Selinda has been talking about bridging the spillway to keep the drive from airstrip to camp reasonably short. In the past couple of years, the advancing water has been lengthening the journey. Two-three years ago, a bridge was built across the dry spillway further to the south-west to ensure that supply and other vehicles could still travel between Selinda and Motswiri. They were anticipating way back then that water from the delta end and the Linyanti end will eventually flood the whole spillway. So big changes are either happening or are being thought about. I can imagine canoeing expeditions becoming part of the safari experience on the spillway and the channel in future. Already this year, one group has canoed and trekked along the spillway from Motswiri to Zibalianja lagoon, and we know WS guides are planning a similar but longer journey.
John
That's right. And Selinda has been talking about bridging the spillway to keep the drive from airstrip to camp reasonably short. In the past couple of years, the advancing water has been lengthening the journey. Two-three years ago, a bridge was built across the dry spillway further to the south-west to ensure that supply and other vehicles could still travel between Selinda and Motswiri. They were anticipating way back then that water from the delta end and the Linyanti end will eventually flood the whole spillway. So big changes are either happening or are being thought about. I can imagine canoeing expeditions becoming part of the safari experience on the spillway and the channel in future. Already this year, one group has canoed and trekked along the spillway from Motswiri to Zibalianja lagoon, and we know WS guides are planning a similar but longer journey.
John
Oct 10th, 2006, 07:29 AM
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Echoing your point John, the following was posted recently in the "news" section of the Ultimate Africa website (UA is a specialist trip planner I worked with in the past - they are actually quite good):
September 1, 2006 - Botswana's Selinda Spillway Affects Tours
The Okavango flood this year, while average, has delivered a quick and strong flow into the Selinda Spillway. This has not occurred in more than 30 years! As a result of this natural event the airstrip is partially under water and road access from the airstrip to the Savute Marsh has been cut off. Certain scheduled safaris are expected to be affected. In some cases itineraries will be altered using similar wildlife viewing areas...in other cases helicopters will be used to ferry guests in and out of the area.
September 1, 2006 - Botswana's Selinda Spillway Affects Tours
The Okavango flood this year, while average, has delivered a quick and strong flow into the Selinda Spillway. This has not occurred in more than 30 years! As a result of this natural event the airstrip is partially under water and road access from the airstrip to the Savute Marsh has been cut off. Certain scheduled safaris are expected to be affected. In some cases itineraries will be altered using similar wildlife viewing areas...in other cases helicopters will be used to ferry guests in and out of the area.
Oct 10th, 2006, 02:48 PM
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Hi Susan,
That's interesting...and puzzling. It doesn't ring true. Wonder which airstrip they're talking about? The flow into the spillway from the delta panhandle would not have affected the Selinda airstrip; indeed, I've not heard of any problems caused even by floodwaters at the other end of the spillway, much closer to the airstrip. In any case, any grasslands inundated by rising water from Zib lagoon earlier this year have dried out out by now. The reference to 'Savute marsh' suggests they're talking about a different area altogether.
John
That's interesting...and puzzling. It doesn't ring true. Wonder which airstrip they're talking about? The flow into the spillway from the delta panhandle would not have affected the Selinda airstrip; indeed, I've not heard of any problems caused even by floodwaters at the other end of the spillway, much closer to the airstrip. In any case, any grasslands inundated by rising water from Zib lagoon earlier this year have dried out out by now. The reference to 'Savute marsh' suggests they're talking about a different area altogether.
John
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