On May 2nd I was sent these two photos taken at Ibuguzia bridge.

 

I am thrilled to see that the river is flowing so strongly, I feel sure that the good rains coupled with the excellent progress made last year in curbing the water usage in the Usangu catchment area is the reason we see so much water in May.

 

Traditionally before the Usangu dilemma of over abstraction really took hold, If the rainfall was even just average, March was always the month with the highest flow. 

 

It would generally stop flowing in September when the rice farmers were planting their fields, and start extracting water before the rains.

Which of course is an extremely harmful water management strategy. I will be very interested to see how the flow is this dry season.