Kowie River

The Kowie River (Coyi in Xhosa) is a river in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. It has its source in the hills of the "Grahamstown Heights" from where it flows in a south-easterly direction draining the major part of the Bathurst region, reaching the Indian Ocean through an estuary at Port Alfred.

Kowie River
The Kowie River near Bathurst
Location of the Kowie River mouth
Native name	Coyi (Xhosa)
Location
Country	South Africa
Province	Eastern Cape
Physical characteristics
Mouth	Indian Ocean
• location	Port Alfred
• coordinates	33°36′06″S 26°53′58″E
• elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Length	94 km (58 mi)
Basin size	800 km2 (310 sq mi)

Its major tributaries are the Bloukrans River, the Bak River and the Lushington River (or Torrens). The Little Kowie River is a smaller tributary which enters the estuarine portion of the river 14 km from the mouth. There are also a number of smaller unnamed streams entering the river along its course. The Kowie river is part of the Fish to Tsitsikama Water Management Area.^[1]

Ecology

There is a small population of the endangered Eastern Province rocky (Sandelia bainsii) in the Bloukrans River section of the Blaauwkrantz Nature Reserve.^[2]

See also

• List of rivers of South Africa
• List of reservoirs and dams in South Africa