Sundays River

This article is about the river in the Eastern Cape. For the tributary of the Tukhela River, see Sundays River (KwaZulu-Natal).

Sundays River (Nukakamma)
Sondagsrivier
River
Country	South Africa
Region	Eastern Cape
Source	Sneeuberge
Mouth	Indian Ocean
- location	Algoa Bay
- elevation	0 m (0 ft)
- coordinates
Length	250 km (155 mi)
Location of the Sunday River's mouth

The Sundays River or Nukakamma (Afrikaans: Sondagsrivier) is a river in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It is said to be the fastest flowing river in the country. The Khoisan people originally named this river Nukakamma (Grassy Water) because the river's banks are always green and grassy despite the arid terrain that it runs through.

Presently this river is part of the Fish to Tsitsikama Water Management Area.

Course

The source of the 250 kilometres (160 mi) long Sundays River is in the Sneeuberge (the highest mountain range in the former Cape Province) near Nieu-Bethesda. The river then flows in a general South/Southeasterly direction, passing the town Graaff-Reinet in the Karoo before winding its way through the Zuurberg Mountains and then past Kirkwood and Addo in the fertile Sundays River Valley. It empties into the Indian Ocean at Algoa Bay after running through the village of Colchester, 40 km east of the city of Port Elizabeth.

Dams

• Darlington Dam
• Nqweba Dam

Fish-Sundays River Canal Scheme

The Fish River-Sundays River Canal Scheme consists of a canal and tunnel system which supplies water from the Orange River to the Great Fish River Valley and subsequently to the Sundays River Valley in order to supplement the existing water supply of the Eastern Cape. Since 1992 the water from the Sundays River Valley has been supplied to Port Elizabeth.

See also

• List of rivers in South Africa