GEOGRAPHY NOTES RIVER REGIME

Meaning of River Regime 
Refers to the seasonal fluctuation of water volume in the river.

      TYPES OF RIVER REGIME 
The following are three major types of River Regimes
1.Simple river regime
2.Double river regime
3.Complex river regime

               1.SIMPLE RIVER REGIME 
Is a regime in which there is one period of maximum volume of water on rain season and one period of maximum volume of water on dry season. Example Ruvuma and Ruaha river in Tanzania

               2.DOUBLE RIVER REGIME 
This occurs where a river attains double maximum and minimum of water volume.The increase of water volume is a resulting from early summer snow,melt and Autumn-Winter rains like Rhine river in Europe.      A period of maxima volume of water occurs along the equatorial zone like Congo river and Amazon experience maxima on March and September 

               3.COMPLEX REGIME 
Is a regime of rivers passing through various climatic regions. The Rivers have several periods of maximum volume of water since their tributaries flow through regions with different rain season. Example river Nile in Africa and Mississippi river in USA.

FACTOS AFFECTING RIVER REGIME INCLUDE
1.Climate
2.Vegetation
3.Geology and soils
4.Land use
5.Waterabstraction and dams
6.Precipitation pattern
7.Human activities such as dam construction
8.Size and shape of the river basin

FACTOS AFFECTING THE WORK OF RIVER
1.Velocity of water; Erosion and transportation are both maximum when velocity is high.deposition take place when velocity of water is low
2.Volume of water; the large volume of water it increase the power of erosion and transportation
3.Load; load is the material transported by river

IMPACT OF RIVERS TO HUMAN LIFE 

River have both positive and negative impact to human life

Positive impact of rivers 

1.Rivers provide water for domestic uses such as cooking,drinking and washing
2.River provide ideal sites for the generation of Hydroelectric power (H.E.P) example pangani and kihansi in Tanzania and Victoria falls along Zambia-Zimbabwe border 
3.Alluvial deposits provide fertile soils which are suitable for crops farming example Rufiji in Tanzania, Nile valley in Egypt.
4.Rivers are sources of water for irrigation scheme. Example kilombelo sugarcane plantation in Tanzania and Gezira scheme in Sudan get water from the Blue Nile.
5.Rivers provide a habitat for equatic organism such as fish and frogs example kihansi frogs 

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