Tsech'i River

Tsech'i
Tsech'i
	The Tsech'i River gorge atMenachek
	Tsech'i River inDogu’a Tembien
Location
Country	Ethiopia
Region	Tigray Region
District (woreda)	Dogu’a Tembien
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Inda Maryam Qorar inSeretmunicipality
• elevation	2,552 m (8,373 ft)
Mouth	TanqwaRiver
• location	May Lomin at the border ofAregenandAbiy Addi
• coordinates	13°37′12″N39°01′16″E/ 13.62°N 39.021°E
• elevation	1,888 m (6,194 ft)
Length	14.5 km (9.0 mi)
Width
• average	20 m (66 ft)
Basin features
River system	Permanent river
Tributaries
• left	May Qoqah,Arwadito,Adawro River
Waterfalls	several
Topography	Mountains and deep gorges

TheTsech'iis a river of theNilebasin. Rising in the mountains ofDogu’a Tembienin northernEthiopia,it flows westward to empty finally inGibaandTekezé River.^[1]

Characteristics

It is a confined ephemeral river, locallymeanderingin its narrow alluvial plain, with an average slope gradient of 46 metres per kilometre. With its tributaries, the river has cut a deep gorge.^[2]

Flash floods and flood buffering

Runoff mostly happens in the form of high runoff discharge events that occur in a very short period (calledflash floods). These are related to the steep topography, often little vegetation cover and intense convective rainfall. The peaks of such flash floods have often a 50 to 100 times larger discharge than the precedingbaseflow.^[2] The magnitude of floods in this river has however been decreased due to interventions in the catchment. On steep slopes,exclosureshave been established; the dense vegetation largely contributes to enhancedinfiltration,less flooding and betterbaseflow.^[3]Physical conservation structures such asstone bunds^[4]^[5]andcheck damsalso intercept runoff.^[6]^[7]

Transhumance towards the gorge

Transhumancetakes place in the summer rainy season, when the lands near the villages are occupied by crops. Young shepherds will take the village cattle down to the gorge and overnight in small caves. The gorges are particularly attractive as a transhumance destination zone, because there is water and good growth of semi-natural vegetation.^[8]

Boulders and pebbles in the river bed

Boulders and pebbles encountered in the river bed can originate from any location higher up in the catchment. In the uppermost stretches of the river, only rock fragments of the upper lithological units will be present in the river bed, whereas more downstream one may find a more comprehensive mix of all lithologies crossed by the river. From upstream to downstream, the following lithological units occur in the catchment.^[9]

Natural boundary

During its course, the Tsech'i river passes through three municipalities (Seret,Menachekand in the lower course it is the border between Menachek andAregen).^[1]

Trekking along the river

Trekking routes have been established across and along this river.^[11]The tracks are not marked on the ground but can be followed using downloaded.GPX files.^[12]Treks7and19follow the ridge at the southern side of the catchment with continuous views on Tsech’i gorge.

References

^^a ^b ^cJacob, M. and colleagues (2019).Geo-trekking map of Dogu'a Tembien (1:50,000). In: Geo-trekking in Ethiopia's Tropical Mountains - The Dogu'a Tembien District.SpringerNature.ISBN 978-3-030-04954-6.
^^a ^bAmanuel Zenebe, and colleagues (2019).The Giba, Tanqwa and Tsaliet rivers in the headwaters of the Tekezze basin. In: Geo-trekking in Ethiopia's Tropical Mountains - The Dogu'a Tembien District.SpringerNature.doi:10.1007/978-3-030-04955-3_14.ISBN 978-3-030-04954-6.S2CID 199099067.
^Descheemaeker, K. and colleagues (2006)."Runoff on slopes with restoring vegetation: A case study from the Tigray highlands, Ethiopia".Journal of Hydrology.331(1–2): 219–241.doi:10.1016/j.still.2006.07.011.hdl:1854/LU-378900.
^Nyssen, Jan; Poesen, Jean; Gebremichael, Desta; Vancampenhout, Karen; d'Aes, Margo; Yihdego, Gebremedhin; Govers, Gerard; Leirs, Herwig; Moeyersons, Jan; Naudts, Jozef; Haregeweyn, Nigussie; Haile, Mitiku; Deckers, Jozef (2007)."Interdisciplinary on-site evaluation of stone bunds to control soil erosion on cropland in Northern Ethiopia".Soil and Tillage Research.94(1): 151–163.doi:10.1016/j.still.2006.07.011.hdl:1854/LU-378900.
^Gebeyehu Taye and colleagues (2015). "Evolution of the effectiveness of stone bunds and trenches in reducing runoff and soil loss in the semi-arid Ethiopian highlands".Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie.59(4): 477–493.Bibcode:2015ZGm....59..477T.doi:10.1127/zfg/2015/0166.
^Nyssen, J.; Veyret-Picot, M.; Poesen, J.; Moeyersons, J.; Haile, Mitiku; Deckers, J.; Govers, G. (2004). "The effectiveness of loose rock check dams for gully control in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia".Soil Use and Management.20:55–64.doi:10.1111/j.1475-2743.2004.tb00337.x.S2CID 98547102.
^Etefa Guyassa and colleagues (2017)."Effects of check dams on runoff characteristics along gully reaches, the case of Northern Ethiopia".Journal of Hydrology.545(1): 299–309.Bibcode:2017JHyd..545..299G.doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.12.019.hdl:1854/LU-8518957.
^Nyssen, Jan; Descheemaeker, Katrien; Zenebe, Amanuel; Poesen, Jean; Deckers, Jozef; Haile, Mitiku (2009)."Transhumance in the Tigray highlands (Ethiopia)".Mountain Research and Development.29(3): 255–264.doi:10.1659/mrd.00033.hdl:1854/LU-854326.
^Sembroni, A.; Molin, P.; Dramis, F. (2019).Regional geology of the Dogu'a Tembien massif. In: Geo-trekking in Ethiopia's Tropical Mountains — The Dogu'a Tembien District.SpringerNature.ISBN 978-3-030-04954-6.
^Moeyersons, J. and colleagues (2006). "Age and backfill/overfill stratigraphy of two tufa dams, Tigray Highlands, Ethiopia: Evidence for Late Pleistocene and Holocene wet conditions".Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.230(1–2): 162–178.Bibcode:2006PPP...230..165M.doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2005.07.013.
^Description of trekking routes in Dogu'a Tembien. In: Geo-trekking in Ethiopia's Tropical Mountains - The Dogu'a Tembien District.SpringerNature. 2019.ISBN 978-3-030-04954-6.
^"Public GPS Traces tagged with nyssen-jacob-frankl".OpenStreetMap. 27 December 2018.Retrieved5 May2022.

[chapmap-1] Jacob, M. and colleagues (2019).Geo-trekking map of Dogu'a Tembien (1:50,000). In: Geo-trekking in Ethiopia's Tropical Mountains - The Dogu'a Tembien District.SpringerNature.ISBN 978-3-030-04954-6.

[chapriver-2] Amanuel Zenebe, and colleagues (2019).The Giba, Tanqwa and Tsaliet rivers in the headwaters of the Tekezze basin. In: Geo-trekking in Ethiopia's Tropical Mountains - The Dogu'a Tembien District.SpringerNature.doi:10.1007/978-3-030-04955-3_14.ISBN 978-3-030-04954-6.S2CID 199099067.

[3] Descheemaeker, K. and colleagues (2006)."Runoff on slopes with restoring vegetation: A case study from the Tigray highlands, Ethiopia".Journal of Hydrology.331(1–2): 219–241.doi:10.1016/j.still.2006.07.011.hdl:1854/LU-378900.

[4] Nyssen, Jan; Poesen, Jean; Gebremichael, Desta; Vancampenhout, Karen; d'Aes, Margo; Yihdego, Gebremedhin; Govers, Gerard; Leirs, Herwig; Moeyersons, Jan; Naudts, Jozef; Haregeweyn, Nigussie; Haile, Mitiku; Deckers, Jozef (2007)."Interdisciplinary on-site evaluation of stone bunds to control soil erosion on cropland in Northern Ethiopia".Soil and Tillage Research.94(1): 151–163.doi:10.1016/j.still.2006.07.011.hdl:1854/LU-378900.

[5] Gebeyehu Taye and colleagues (2015). "Evolution of the effectiveness of stone bunds and trenches in reducing runoff and soil loss in the semi-arid Ethiopian highlands".Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie.59(4): 477–493.Bibcode:2015ZGm....59..477T.doi:10.1127/zfg/2015/0166.

[6] Nyssen, J.; Veyret-Picot, M.; Poesen, J.; Moeyersons, J.; Haile, Mitiku; Deckers, J.; Govers, G. (2004). "The effectiveness of loose rock check dams for gully control in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia".Soil Use and Management.20:55–64.doi:10.1111/j.1475-2743.2004.tb00337.x.S2CID 98547102.

[7] Etefa Guyassa and colleagues (2017)."Effects of check dams on runoff characteristics along gully reaches, the case of Northern Ethiopia".Journal of Hydrology.545(1): 299–309.Bibcode:2017JHyd..545..299G.doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.12.019.hdl:1854/LU-8518957.

[trans-8] Nyssen, Jan; Descheemaeker, Katrien; Zenebe, Amanuel; Poesen, Jean; Deckers, Jozef; Haile, Mitiku (2009)."Transhumance in the Tigray highlands (Ethiopia)".Mountain Research and Development.29(3): 255–264.doi:10.1659/mrd.00033.hdl:1854/LU-854326.

[9] Sembroni, A.; Molin, P.; Dramis, F. (2019).Regional geology of the Dogu'a Tembien massif. In: Geo-trekking in Ethiopia's Tropical Mountains — The Dogu'a Tembien District.SpringerNature.ISBN 978-3-030-04954-6.

[10] Moeyersons, J. and colleagues (2006). "Age and backfill/overfill stratigraphy of two tufa dams, Tigray Highlands, Ethiopia: Evidence for Late Pleistocene and Holocene wet conditions".Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.230(1–2): 162–178.Bibcode:2006PPP...230..165M.doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2005.07.013.

[jnroutes-11] Description of trekking routes in Dogu'a Tembien. In: Geo-trekking in Ethiopia's Tropical Mountains - The Dogu'a Tembien District.SpringerNature. 2019.ISBN 978-3-030-04954-6.

[12] "Public GPS Traces tagged with nyssen-jacob-frankl".OpenStreetMap. 27 December 2018.Retrieved5 May2022.

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