Didessa River
Encyclopedia
The Didessa River is a river in western Ethiopia
. A tributary
of the Abay River, it rises in the mountains of Gomma
, flowing in a northwestern direction to its confluence where the course of the Abay has curved to its southernmost point before turning northwards at about 9°57′N 35°41′E. The Didessa's drainage area is about 19,630 square kilometers, covering portions of the Benishangul-Gumuz Region and the Mirab Welega Zone
of the Oromia Region
.
Tributaries on the right bank include the Enareya, Aet, Wama, and the Angar rivers; on the left side the most important tributary is the Dobana River. Exploring this river in the mid 1890s and from interviews with local inhabitants, Alexander Bulatovich
asserted that downstream of its junction with the Angar, the Didessa is rapid-free and potentially navigable.
opined that "Didessa" appears to have replaced a much older name for this river, finding no earlier usage for it "before 1861, when d'Abbadie
was travelling in Western Shoa and made inquiries." At the time of his visit, in 1905, the Handak forest on the right side of the Didessa was "famous as a favourite haunt for elephants. They seem to come up towards the Nile by both the Didesa and Dabus
rivers, attracted, no doubt, in the latter river-bed by the rich growth of young bamboo." He also notes that at the confluence of the Didessa with the Abay, "the serious work of goldwashing
begins, and continues along the Nile and down the course of the Dabus and its tributaries," adding that:
Despite the efforts of these explorers, and the presence of humans in the area since the origins of the species, the course of the Didessa from its point near Nekemte
to its confluence with the Abay apparently was only traced in 1935 by Dunlop and Taylor. They were told by Dejazmach Habte Maryam, the local official in Nekemte, "that nobody, even the local Shankallas
, as far as he knew, had ever followed the course of the river to its junction with the Abbai."
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. A tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Abay River, it rises in the mountains of Gomma
Gomma (woreda)
Gomma is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. It is named after the former Kingdom of Gomma, whose territory was roughly the same as the modern woreda...
, flowing in a northwestern direction to its confluence where the course of the Abay has curved to its southernmost point before turning northwards at about 9°57′N 35°41′E. The Didessa's drainage area is about 19,630 square kilometers, covering portions of the Benishangul-Gumuz Region and the Mirab Welega Zone
Mirab Welega Zone
Mirab Welega is one of the 12 Zones in the Ethiopian Region of Oromia. This zone is named after the former province of Welega, whose western part lay in the area Mirab Misraq now occupies....
of the Oromia Region
Oromia Region
Oromia is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia...
.
Tributaries on the right bank include the Enareya, Aet, Wama, and the Angar rivers; on the left side the most important tributary is the Dobana River. Exploring this river in the mid 1890s and from interviews with local inhabitants, Alexander Bulatovich
Alexander Bulatovich
Alexander Ksaverievich Bulatovich tonsured Father Antony was a Russian military officer, explorer of Africa, writer, hieromonk and the leader of imiaslavie movement in Eastern Orthodox Christianity.-Biography:...
asserted that downstream of its junction with the Angar, the Didessa is rapid-free and potentially navigable.
Human history
The early 20th-century explorer Herbert Weld BlundellHerbert Weld Blundell
Herbert Joseph Weld Blundell was an English traveller in Africa, archaeologist, philanthropist and yachtsman. He shortened his surname from Weld Blundell to Weld, in 1924.-Life to 1922 :...
opined that "Didessa" appears to have replaced a much older name for this river, finding no earlier usage for it "before 1861, when d'Abbadie
Antoine Thomson d'Abbadie
Antoine Thomson d'Abbadie d'Arrast was a French and Basque explorer, geographer, ethnologue, linguist and astronomer notable for his travels in Ethiopia during the first half of the 19th century...
was travelling in Western Shoa and made inquiries." At the time of his visit, in 1905, the Handak forest on the right side of the Didessa was "famous as a favourite haunt for elephants. They seem to come up towards the Nile by both the Didesa and Dabus
Dabus River
The Dabus River is a north-flowing tributary of the Abay River in southwestern Ethiopia; it joins its parent stream at . The Dabus has a drainage area of about 21,032 square kilometers....
rivers, attracted, no doubt, in the latter river-bed by the rich growth of young bamboo." He also notes that at the confluence of the Didessa with the Abay, "the serious work of goldwashing
Gold panning
Gold panning, or simply panning, is a form of placer mining that extracts gold from a placer deposit using a pan. The process is one of the simplest ways to extract gold, and is popular with geology enthusiasts because of its cheap cost and the relatively simple and easy process involved. It is the...
begins, and continues along the Nile and down the course of the Dabus and its tributaries," adding that:
The deep erosion of the upper strata of basalt and trap, and subsequent decomposition, lays bare the gneissic and hornblendic schist formations below, so that nearly the whole country from the foot of Chochi to the river, a distance of 15 miles, is covered with quartz pebbles and boulders, and shows numerous outcrops. The decomposed portions of the reefs are strewn over the ground, and the gold they contain is thus washed into the small streams, and then carried into the Abai.
Despite the efforts of these explorers, and the presence of humans in the area since the origins of the species, the course of the Didessa from its point near Nekemte
Nekemte
Nekemte is a market town in western Ethiopia. Located in the Misraq Welega Zone of the Oromia Region , Nekemte has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation of 2,088 meters....
to its confluence with the Abay apparently was only traced in 1935 by Dunlop and Taylor. They were told by Dejazmach Habte Maryam, the local official in Nekemte, "that nobody, even the local Shankallas
Shanqella
Shanqella is an Ethiopian term used to refer to a number of ethnic groups residing primarily in the western-most part of Ethiopia and who constitute about 5% of Ethiopia's population...
, as far as he knew, had ever followed the course of the river to its junction with the Abbai."
Admittedly, at certain times of the year [the Dejazmach continued], a few Shankallas worked in some cotton fields, which he had just planted 15 miles north of the Dadessa bridge; but even these few miles were, to use his own words, "a country fit only for monkeys." He emphasized the difficulties which we would encounter: no paths, thick bamboo forests, fever, and, with an expressive upward wave of his hand, the steepness of the mountains bordering the river. He suggested that, if we were anxious to see the confluence of the Abbai and Dadessa, we would be well advised to follow the track from Nekemti to NejoNejoNejo is a town in western Ethiopia. Located in the Mirab Welega Zone of the Oromia Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 1821 meters above sea level. It is the administrative center of Nejo woreda...
, thence along a known track to the junction.