The path of the Nile River can be seen by satellite.
The Nile River begins in Ethiopia and courses through the Middle East, through Egypt into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the longest rivers in the world, flowing "uphill" from the direction of most of rivers. Many countries depend on the water from the Nile for drinking, agriculture and bathing. Therefore, the effects of the Nile's floods can be devastating to thousands of people as well as beneficial.
Flood Season
An antique map shows the Nile region with its tributaries.
The Nile's path runs along the Great African Rift and swells in summer. The extra water is a byproduct of the rain that has gathered in the tropical climes south of Egypt through the tributaries that feed from the Blue Nile (Ethiopia) into the Nile toward the sea. The flood plain is a few thousand kilometers long at Egypt's end.
Seasons of the Nile
The floods in the Nile Valley may have looked similar to this.
The year can be divided into three to follow the rise and fall of the Nile. Inundation occurs from July through mid-August as the water reaches its climax. From mid-August through the end of October, the waters will begin to subside. October through May will bring the water down to its lowest point, and between May and September the cycle begins all over again.
Egypt's Old Kingdom
Ancient Egyptian limestone relief.
The people of ancient Egypt relied upon the Nile as their only source of water. Geologic and archaeological findings show that the building of the pyramids happened in direct correlation of the bounteous periods the Nile offered the people. Also found is evidence that the longest low period of flooding caused the fall of Egypt's Old Kingdom between 2250 and 2050 B.C.
Those living in the Old Kingdom had to migrate elsewhere, and the capital moved from Memphis to the southeast. Sandstorms became predominate in the area as oases were swept over and lakes dried up.
Faiyum Depression
Pyramids near Cairo would have been built during a swell in flood waters of the Nile.
The Faiyum Depression is a valley south of Cairo that prehistorically was home to a huge lake fed by the Nile. It was from this point that canals were dug to water the region's fields. During droughts, the lake would begin to fill with sand, but water was regulated to try to maintain a 14-meter level to feed the agricultural area.
The Middle Kingdom lost its installations to the rise of the lake to 18 meters above sea level as it swelled and drowned populations in the surrounding area. After the breach of the dams in the area, the depression became uninhabitable.
The Ptolemaic period had a dam by El-Lahun that decreased the level of the lake and gave the Egyptians more land to cultivate. The depression is now one of the most fertile in the nation.
Different Flood Levels
Aswan Dam monument in Egypt.
Flood levels range from extremely high to low. Low flood levels reduce water resources, and with sediment buildup at the water's edge, blockage occurs. As a result, boats may have problems navigating.
High floods will cause increases in levels behind the Aswan Dam, and the Nile River Valley retains the possibility of having its land flooded should increased releases be necessary from the dam. This may also cause riverbanks to steadily decline.
Climate Change
As climate change occurs, the waters of the Nile may shift, submerging buildings along its shores.
Part of the reason why the Nile River floods or dries up may be partly due to climatic changes that began at the latter part of the 20th century. Egypt's wealth is dependent upon the free-flowing, steady waters of the Nile. So the climate may bring hardship as it changes.
Study Results for Future Flooding
If buildings were to be constructed upon the strip between the Nile's terrace (bank) line and water level, there is an extreme possibility that anyone living or working there would drown in a flood should one occur. An island currently located downstream from the Aswan Dam in the emergency flood area would be totally submerged in a high flood. A Nile Research Institute study indicates that even in the highest flood, what is determined as the terrace line would not be breached.
Tags: Nile River, waters Nile, Egypt Kingdom, Faiyum Depression, high flood, Nile floods
