UMkhomazi River
| Umkomazi River | |
| uMkhomazi, Mkhomazi, Umkomaas | |
| River | |
 Surf near the Umkomazi River mouth at Umkomaas
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| Name origin: Meaning 'the place of she-whales' in the Zulu language | |
| Country | South Africa |
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| Region | KwaZulu-Natal |
| Source | Near Thabana Ntlenyana |
| - location | Drakensberg, Lesotho |
| - elevation | 3,000 m (9,843 ft) |
| Mouth | Indian Ocean |
| - location | Umkomaas |
| - elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| - coordinates | 30°12′1″S 30°48′4″E / 30.20028°S 30.80111°ECoordinates: 30°12′1″S 30°48′4″E / 30.20028°S 30.80111°E |
  Location of the Umkomazi River mouth
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The Umkomazi River is a river in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
It rises in some of the highest eastwards-facing slopes of the Drakensberg mountains, near the mighty Thabana Ntlenyana. The river flows southeastwards towards the Indian Ocean, which it enters through a navigable estuary at Umkomaas, about 40 km southwest of Durban. Its main tributaries are the Loteni, Nzinga, Mkomazane, Elands and the Xobho River.
Towns on the Umkomazi basin include Bulwer, Impendle, Ixopo, Craigieburn and Boston. Presently the only dam in its catchment area is the Ixopo Dam, but other dams are planned.
The Umkomazi is part of the Mvoti to Umzimkulu Water Management Area.
The Mkhomazi State Forest and the Mkhomazi Wilderness Area are protected areas located in the upper course of the Umkomazi River.
The Scaly Yellowfish (Labeobarbus natalensis) is a fish found in the Umkomazi River System as well as in the Umgeni, Umzimkulu, Tukhela and the Umfolozi. It is a common endemic species in KwaZulu-Natal Province and it lives in different habitats between the Drakensberg foothills and the coastal lowlands.
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