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Foto River near Fria town, Guinea
Guinea, Boké region, Fria Prefecture
Foto River is an small savannah affluent of the Konkouré River that arises in west-central Guinea and flows into the Atlantic Ocean, near the bauxite mining town of Fria in north Conakry. Several dams on the river provide the country with much of its electricity.
The Konkouré River originates in the Futa Jallon highland region and flows in a westerly direction 303km to the Atlantic Ocean north of the Baie de Sangareya (Sangareya Bay) at 9°46’N, 14°19’W. The Kakrima River is its major tributary. The river delta covers 320km2. The “Lower Konkouré is a shallow, funnel shaped, mesotidal, mangrove-fringed, tide dominated estuary”. Rice farms have been established in the mangrove areas of the delta “with some success”.
- Submitted by
- Andrea Bordin
- Approved by
- Ad Konings & Anton Lamboj
- GPS
- 10.3234358, -13.5673475
- Geographical region
- Western Africa
- Drainage Basin
- Konkourè River
- River catchment
- Water body type
- River
- Water body name
- Foto
- Water body part
- Meander
- Water body course
- Lower course
- Water body: tributary of
- River
- Tributary name
- Konkourè
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Water Chemistry
Water information
- Water type
- fresh-water
- Water color
- Black water
- Water transparency
- Medium
- Concentration of sediments
- No
- Water temperature
- 24 °C
- Water flow/curent
- Slow
Chemical parameters
- pH
- 5.8
- Conductivity
- GH
- dGH
- KH
- dKH
- Dissolved Oxygen
Substrate in nature
- Sand
- Beige
- Pebble/Gravel
- Mixed
- Stone
- Grey
- Stone form
- Irregular
- Silt/Mud
- Leaves
- Few
- Driftwood
- Many
- Submerged terrestrial vegetation
- Yes
Aquatic Biotope
- Date of collecting
- 01/02/2006
- Collecting area
- Open water
- Water depth
- 0,5m
- Air temperature
- 24 °C
- Sunlight
- Filtered/dappled sun
Environment
- Environment
- Affected by human activity
- Affected by human activity
- Pollution
- Pollution
- Moderate
- Surrounding area
This site in the Foto River was ringed by dense forest and often fallen trees obstructing access to the water in many places. Margins of the river were densely overgrown by Anubias lanceolata, where the exposed boulders and fallen trees have large clusters of Bolibitis heudelotti and other ferns.
- Underwater landscape
The river substrate consisted of fine gravel and sand with a few larger rocks and boulders. Dense growths of Vallisneria sp. were found, where sunlight penetrated through the trees.
- Threats to ecology
There are many protected areas in Guinea (forêts classées), although little is done to enforce environmental protection regulations. The Mount Nimba Nature Reserve, in the far south-east of the country, along the border with the Ivory Coast, is classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, which however has not prevented the government from opening an iron mine on the mountainside.
Also nearby is the Forêt Classée de Ziama, where the rainforest remains untouched (at least for the moment) and elephants are often seen. The future of the two national parks, Parc Transfrontalier Niokolo-Badiar, near Koundara, and Parc National du Haut Niger, northeast of Faranah, is uncertain due to lack of funds.
The data relating to Guinea’s environmental protection are alarming. The population of almost all animal species is constantly decreasing and for most of the flora and fauna no basic data has ever been collected.
The main problem is deforestation. The repatriation of most refugees has alleviated the problem of logging to make way for agricultural land, but logging continues, favored by the near total lack of controls, and is advancing so rapidly in the south that the Forest Region deserves a new name.
Along the coast, much of the mangrove forest has been cleared to make way for rice cultivation and unregulated fishing is becoming more and more of a problem. Large mining companies have pledged to improve mining methods and some signs that this is actually happening are already beginning to show.
Riparian zone
- Trees near the aquatic habitat
-
Many -
