Blyde River

Blyde River (Motlatse)
River
Blyde River passing through a sandstone gorge below the Treur confluence
Country	South Africa
State	Mpumalanga & Limpopo
Source
- location	Hartebeesvlakte
- elevation	2,000 m (6,562 ft)
Mouth
- location	Olifants River, South Africa
- coordinates	24°15′17″S 30°49′47″E / 24.25472°S 30.82972°E / -24.25472; 30.82972Coordinates: 24°15′17″S 30°49′47″E / 24.25472°S 30.82972°E / -24.25472; 30.82972
Basin	2,842 km2 (1,097 sq mi)
Location of the Blyde-Olifants confluence

The Blyde River (Afrikaans: Blyderivier, i.e. Glad River, or Motlatse River, i.e. Permanent River, or Umdhlazi River), is a river in the Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces of South Africa. It has a northwards course in steep-sided valleys and ravines of the Mpumalanga Drakensberg, before it enters the lowveld region of the Limpopo province. It has its ultimate origins at around 2,000 m altitude in the Hartebeesvlakte conservation area, to the north of Long Tom Pass.

The Blyde, meaning "glad", "joyous" or "happy" in Cape Dutch, was thus named during a voortrekker expedition. This occurred in 1844 when Hendrik Potgieter and others returned safely from Delagoa Bay to the rest of their party of trekkers who had considered them dead. While still under this misapprehension they had named the river near their encampment, Treurrivier, or 'mourning river'. The name Motlatse is said to predate the name Blyde, and means 'a river that is always full' in the sePulana dialect of Northern Sotho.

Of the catchment area of 2,842 km², 220 km² is devoted to commercial forestry, and around 1,399 km² consists of indigenous forests. Orchards and croplands were established along the lower Blyde in the latter half of the 20th century, with 23,521 ha devoted to irrigation in 1995. The Hartebeesvlakte, Mount Sheba Nature Reserve, Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve and Blyde-Olifants Conservancy protect different sections of it.

In the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve it is joined by several rivers or streams. The Treur River joins the Blyde at Bourke's Luck Potholes, in the canyon's upper reaches. Downstream it is joined by the Belvedere and Ga-nogakgolo creeks.