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Foto River near Fria town, Guinea

Sponsored by
Educated by Nature

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 -

Sitography

→ Mahengechromis
→ Fishbase
→ Unesco
→ Antropocene