The Blue Nile, known in Amharic as ጥቁር አባይ (T’ik’uri Ābayi) and in Arabic as النيل الأزرق (an-Nīl al-ʾAzraqu), is a vital river originating from Lake Tana in Ethiopia. It is one of the two major tributaries of the Nile, along with the White Nile.
This river travels approximately 1,450 km (900 mi) through Ethiopia and Sudan, supplying about 80% of the water in the Nile during the rainy season. The river is also known as Abay in Ethiopia.
Map of the Nile River Basin.
Source and Course
Although there are several feeder streams that flow into Lake Tana, the sacred source of the river is generally considered to be a small spring at Gish Abay, situated at an elevation of approximately 2,744 m (9,003 ft), known as the Gilgel Abay (Lesser Abay River). Other affluents of this lake include the Magech River, the Northern Gumara, the Reb River, the southern Gumara River, and the Kilte.
The distance of the river from its source to its confluence, has been variously reported as being between 1,460 kilometres (910 mi) and 1,600 kilometres (990 mi). This uncertainty might result from the fact that the river flows through a series of virtually impenetrable gorges cut in the Ethiopian Highlands to a depth of some 1,500 metres (4,900 ft)-a depth comparable to that of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River in the United States.
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The river loops across northwest Ethiopia, before being fed by numerous tributaries between Lake Tana and the Sudanese border.
Tributaries on the left bank (downstream order):
- Wanqa River
- Bashilo River
- Walaqa River
- Wanchet River
- Jamma River
- Muger River
- Guder River
- Agwel River
- Nedi River
- Didessa River
- Dabus River
Tributaries on the right bank (downstream order):
- Handassa
- Tul
- Abbaya
- Sade
- Tammi
- Cha
- Shita
- Suha
- Muga
- Gulla
- Temcha
- Bachat
- Katlan
- Jiba
- Chamoga
- Weter
- Beles
The Blue Nile then heads northwest into Sudan. It travels for approximately 650 km (400 mi), flowing past Er Roseires and receiving the Dinder River on its right bank at Dinder. At Khartoum, the Blue Nile joins the White Nile and, as the Nile, flows through Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea at Alexandria.
The flow of the Blue Nile reaches maximum volume in the rainy season from June to September, when it supplies 80-86% of the water of the Nile proper.
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During the summer monsoon season, the Blue Nile floods erode a vast amount of fertile soil from the Ethiopian Highlands and carry it downstream as silt, turning the water dark brown or almost black.
The Blue Nile is vital to the livelihood of Egypt: as the most significant tributary of the Nile, it contributes over 85% of the Nile's streamflow. Though shorter than the White Nile, 59% of the water that reaches Egypt originates from the Ethiopian highlands via the Blue Nile.
Historical Significance
The river was a major source of the flooding of the Nile in Egypt that contributed to the fertility of the Nile Valley and the consequent rise of Ancient Egypt and Egyptian mythology. With the completion of the Aswan Dam in 1970, these floods stopped occurring in lower Egypt.
The Egyptian fear that Ethiopia might block the Blue Nile was a major factor in the long and complex Ethiopian-Egyptian relationship. While Egypt relied on Ethiopia for its waters, Ethiopia depended on the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria for patriarchal authority and the appointment of its metropolitan.
For centuries, the threat of blocking the Blue Nile was an effective strategy in ensuring the appointment of Egyptian metropolitans. An early crisis emerged during the reign of Zagwe King Gebre Mesqel Lalibela, whom the Egyptians suspected of attempting to divert the river, even though his kingdom never extended to the Blue Nile.
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The Emperors of the Solomonic dynasty, particularly Dawit II, Yeshaq I, and Zara Yaqob, continued asserting Ethiopia's control over the river as a diplomatic tool. They also reinforced this concept in religious terms, identifying the Blue Nile with the biblical Gihon and adapting the Tammera Maryam to legitimize their authority over the waters.
Exploration
The first European to have seen the Blue Nile in Ethiopia and the river's source was Pedro Páez, a Spanish Jesuit who reached the river's source on 21 April 1618. However, the Portuguese João Bermudes provided the first description of the Tis Abay River Falls in his memoirs published in 1565.
Although a number of European explorers contemplated tracing the course of the Nile from the Blue Nile's confluence with the White Nile to Lake Tana, its gorge, which begins a few kilometres inside the Ethiopian border, has discouraged all attempts since Frédéric Cailliaud's attempt in 1821.
The first serious attempt by a non-local to explore this reach of the river was undertaken by the American W.W. Macmillan in 1902, assisted by the Norwegian explorer B.H. Jenssen.
R.E. Cheesman managed to map the upper course of the Blue Nile between 1925 and 1933. In 1968, a team of 60 British and Ethiopian servicemen and scientists made the first full descent of the river from Lake Tana to a point near the Sudanese border led by explorer John Blashford-Snell.
The Nile River Explained in under 3 Minutes
Modern Developments
The river is also an important resource for Sudan, where the Roseires Dam and Sennar Dams produce 80% of the country's power. These dams also help irrigate the Gezira Scheme, which is most famous for its high-quality cotton, as well as wheat and animal feed crop production in the area.
In November 2012, Ethiopia began construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a 6000-megawatt hydroelectric dam on the river. The dam is expected to be a boost for the Ethiopian economy. Sudan and Egypt, however, voiced their concerns over a potential reduction in water available.
The Grand Ethiopian Rennaissance Dam (GERD) started flooding in 2020, the extent of the reservoir when full will only flood the lowermost 220 km of river (up to 50 km of the Western Cataracts) which likely will occur in 2026. Even then, most of the Grand Canyon of the Nile will remain free-flowing (696 km of the original 916 km or 76%; similar to what remains of the Colorado's Grand Canyon with flooding by Hoover Dam).
Starting in 2023, the lower part of the Western Cataracts section will end in the reservoir created by the Grand Ethiopian Rennaissance Dam (GERD) with 10-20 km of slackwater to get through in 2023, ~30 km of slackwater in 2024, ~40 km of slackwater in 2025 and up to 51 km of slackwater starting in 2026. Thus, starting in 2023, we plan to have a motorboat arrive and tow our rafts across the slackwater to Sirba.
A full Grand Canyon Nile expedtion (Upper + Lower) used to cover 916 km (568 miles), but starting in 2023 will only cover 737 km.
Kayaking and Rafting Expeditions
In the 1950s and 1960s, several kayakers paddled parts of the canyon. In 1968, at the request of Haile Selassie, a team of 60 British and Ethiopian servicemen and scientists made the first full descent of the river from Lake Tana to a point near the Sudanese border led by explorer John Blashford-Snell.
In 1999, writer Virginia Morell and photographer Nevada Wier made the journey by raft from Lake Tana to the Sudan, publishing a documentary about their journey afterwards.
On 28 April 2004, geologist Pasquale Scaturro and his partner, kayaker and documentary filmmaker Gordon Brown, became the first known people to navigate the Blue Nile.
On 29 January 2005, Canadian Les Jickling and his teammate New Zealander Mark Tanner completed the first fully human-powered transit of the entire Blue Nile and Nile in the Sudan and Egypt.
The Blue Nile in Ethiopia passes through the bona fide Grand Canyon of Africa as it descends from Lake Tana to the desert in Sudan enroute to Egypt.
Sections of the Blue Nile for Expeditions:
- UPPER BLUE NILE (III-IV with several Vs; 331 km; ~14 days at medium levels) trips cover the initial 331 km of the Blue Nile (TisAbay, NorthernGorge, GorgeousGorge, and InnerCanyon).
- LOWER BLUE NILE (III-IV; 462 km; 12-13 days at medium levels) trips are scheduled any time of the year (and always after Upper Blue Nile trips and as part of Bashilo-Blue Nile trips), starting at Rennaissance Bridge and continuing to Sirba at the end of the Western Cataracts.
- BASHILO-BLUE NILE + LOWER BLUE NILE (class III; 18-20 days total; 886 km) trips are scheduled only at higher water (mid-July though late-September launches) and are based out of Addis Ababa.
Understanding the Blue Nile's Tributaries
The Blue Nile drains about sixteen rivers before crossing the border into the Sudan. It is the combination of these rivers that eventually form the Blue Nile, or the Mormor River.
Below are the sixteen rivers that form the Blue Nile with their approximate courses and estimated water contributions:
- Abay: Originates from Lake Tana and contributes about 6% of the Blue Nile water.
- Bashilo: Drains smaller streams and rivers of the Wallo region and contributes about 4% of the Nile.
- Beto: A small river that drains rivers from the Wallo-Tullama area and contributes about 3% of the Nile.
- Jamaa: Drains the Wanchet and Salale areas and contributes 5% of the Nile.
- Muger: A river that drains streams from the Ambo area and contributes 3% of the Nile.
- Gudar: Drains Gudar Area Rivers and contributes 3.5% of the Nile.
- Fincha’a: A small tributary that originates from Fincha’a Lake and contributes 1% of the Nile.
- Dhedhessa: A great river that originates from the tropical rain forest mountains and constitutes about 13% of the Nile.
- Dabus: Originates from the West Wallagga area and contributes about 6% of the Nile’s water.
- Temcha, Birr, and Fattom: Rivers originating from the southern part of Gojjam, each contributing 1% of the Nile, together 3%.
- Dura: Originates from the Wambara area and contributes about 1% of the Nile.
- Beles: A medium-sized river that originates in Dangur woreda and contributes about 3% of the Nile.
- Dinder: Drains streams and mainly rainfall floods west of Lake Tana and contributes about 2.5% of the Blue Nile.
- Rahad: A seasonal river that drains streams and mainly rainy season arid highlands floods of western Gondar and contributes about 2% to the Nile.
The amalgamations of all the sixteen rivers that form the proper Blue Nile contribute 52% of the Nile. Also it is with the addition of the Black Nile (Barya or Baro River) that Ethiopian rivers’ share of the Nile becomes 86%.
Table: Major Tributaries of the Blue Nile
| Tributary | Origin | Contribution to Blue Nile |
|---|---|---|
| Abay | Lake Tana | 6% |
| Bashilo | Wallo Region | 4% |
| Dhedhessa | Gomma and Guma area | 13% |
| Dabus | West Wallagga area | 6% |
Elevation Map of Nile River Basin.
