Oti River
The Pendjari ( = Oti ) in the dry season in the north of Pendjari National Park
The Oti is a West African river in Benin, Burkina Faso, Togo and Ghana.
- 3.1 importance as a transport route
- 3.2 importance for ecotourism
- 4.1 Archaeology
- 4.2 extreme flood
Geography
The river rises as Pendjari in the Atakora mountains in Benin. He turns first to the north, but then makes a U-turn to the southwest. Along its course runs approximately between the 1 ° 52 'W meridian and the tri- Benin - Togo - Burkina Faso border between Benin and Burkina Faso. The river then flows through between Mandouri and Sansanné mango northern Togo and flows in a southwesterly direction at 10 ° 16 ' 18 "N, 0 ° 22' 43 " O10.2716666666670.37861111111111 first time on Ghanaian territory. He then runs in almost southerly direction along the Ghanaian- Togolese border, now on a Ghanaian, but mostly on togolesischem area. At 9 ° 26 ' 8 " N, 0 ° 14' 39" O9.4355570.244051 he changes definitively pass to Ghanaian territory until it south of the village Damanko empties into the Lake Volta, in which he with an average of 500 m3 / s pours.
Tributaries
- Kourtiagou
- Arli
- Doubodo
- Singou
- Oualé
- Podiéga
- Yapiti
- Magou
Water quality
The pH of the Oti - water at its mouth varies from 6.4 to 6.7. The ion content in water was ( 1950 ): Na : 3.2 mg / l; K : 0.22 mg / l; Ca2 : 300 mg / l; Mg2 : 11.6 mg / l; CO2 (dissolved ): 39 mg / l; Cl: 23.4 mg / l; SO42 -: 96 g / l; SiO2: 132 mg / l
Economic Importance
Importance as a transport route
The Oti is barely passable by boats. At high tide the boat traffic is hindered by a rapid current, numerous rapids will be added as transport barriers. At low tide sand banks in numerous places allow the passage of the river bed, and sometimes is even a cross dry-shod be possible.
Importance for ecotourism
South of the district capital nordtogolesischen Sansanné mango extending from its left bank at the National Park Kéran ( Parc National de la Keran ). In the northeast, the Republic of Togo the Oti flows through the Oti - Wildlife Reserve (La réserve de faune Oti - Mandouri ), which goes on Beninese side in the National Park Pendjari and on Burkinabe side in the Arli -W - Singou - Complex ( National Park Arly, Réserve partial de l' Arli, Réserve partial de Pama, National Park W, total Réserve du Singou ).
History
Archeology
In nordtogolesischen Oti valley between the district capitals Sansanné mango and Mandouri was made an archaeological survey 1999/2000 under the leadership of the American anthropologist Philip de Barros. It was hoped here and Others also find sites of the Kintampo culture to find, after they had found some Kintampo - finds in the further southeast, Bassari region. A presence of such Fund places in Oti Valley would have proved that the carrier of Ghana Kintampo culture coming from the Sahara, would come through the easily accessible Oti Valley, especially as along the White Volta, in the Oti actually pours, numerous Kintampo - known sites is (eg Ntereso, 8 ° 47 ' N, 2 ° 34' W8.7799083333333 - 2.5745944444444 ). However, the result of the examination was negative with a view to Kintampo. Not a single Kintampo - place was found, and also at the local farmers any findings from earlier times were unknown. This suggests that if the carrier of the Kintampo culture had really come from the Sahara to Ghana, they are not pulled through the Oti Valley.
Extreme flood
After excessive rains in October 1998 it came in early 1999 in both the nordtogolesischem Oti Valley ( prefectures Oti and Kpendjal ) and in the hinterland of the coast ( Lacs Prefecture) to an extreme flood, which had become homeless many residents near the river. An evaluation commission of the International Red Cross at the time put the number of the needy to 15,785 people in 18 communities in the Lacs Prefecture, 6,530 people in 7 municipalities of the Oti Prefecture and 8,090 people in 27 municipalities in the prefecture Kpendjal fixed. During the period 17 to 21 February 1999 were distributed relief goods to the value (purchase price ) of 170,000 CHF to the needy on the coast and between 21 February and 4 March 1999 Oti and Kpendjal.