Insiza River

Insiza River
Ekusilenipontoon ferry,on the Insiza River downstream ofFilabusi,Zimbabwe
Location
Country	Zimbabwe
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Fort Rixon,Zimbabwe
Mouth
• location	Mzingwane River
Basin size	3,401 km2(1,313 sq mi)
Discharge
• average	25.9 mm/a (1.02 in/year) unit runoff

TheInsiza Riveris the principal tributary of theMzingwane RiverinZimbabwe.

It rises nearFort Rixon,Insiza District,and flows into theMzingwane RivernearWest Nicholson.

Hydrology

The upper reaches of the Insiza are ephemeral, but belowSilalabuhwa Dam,the river flows for two-thirds of the year.

Major tributaries of the Insiza River include theInkankeziandSiwazerivers.

Cities, towns and settlements along the river

The settlements below are ordered from the beginning of the river to its end:

• Fort Rixonvillage
• Filabusivillage

Bridges and crossings

Croft Bridge on the Insiza River nearFilabusi.

There are four main bridges over the Insiza River:

• Bridge on mainMbalabala-Masvingoroad, nearFilabusi.
• Bridge onFilabusi-Matagaroad.
• Bridge onFilabusi-West Nicholsonroad.
• Croft Bridge, on the road fromFilabusito Croft mine.

There are also a number of crossing points, including:

• Ekusileni pontoon (see photo at top of page).

Development

Silalabuhwa Dam.

In addition to a number of smallweirs,there are four dams on the Insiza River:

• Upper Insiza Dam,nearFort Rixon,built in 1967 with a full supply capacity of 8,829 MCM (million cubic metres).
• Insiza Dam,previously known as Mayfair Dam and Lake Cunningham, built in 1973, with a full supply capacity of 173,491 MCM. It supplies water to the city ofBulawayo.
• Pangani Dam,nearFilabusi,built to supply water for Pangani mine (now closed and site of a youth training institute.
• Silalabuhwa Dam,built in 1966, with a full supply capacity of 23,454 MCM. It is located near the confluence with theMzingwane Riverand supplies water for irrigation to the Silalatshani Irrigation Schemeand toColleen Bawn.