Mahakam River

The Mahakam is a very big river.

It is in Borneo. It is the third longest river there.

The river flows through green lands. It goes past many lakes.

Some lakes are very flat. Many people fish in these lakes.

It is a wet place. Lots of rain falls from the sky. This rain helps the river flow.

Strange plants grow near the water.

Some plants even eat bugs! Special dolphins live in the water too.

The river ends at the sea. It is a very busy place.

The Mahakam River is a very large river.

It sits in East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. It is the third longest river on the island. The river starts in the highlands of Borneo. It flows southeast toward the Makassar Strait.

The river passes through many different lands. In the middle, it flows through a flat area. This area has many marshy lakes.

There are about 76 lakes in the whole river basin. Many people live near these lakes. Most of them are fishermen. They catch fish to make a living.

The river area is a very wet place. It is a tropical rainforest. This means it gets a lot of rain. This rain helps the river stay full. The river also has many special animals. You might see the Irrawaddy dolphin in the water. These dolphins are very rare. Some strange plants also grow here.

These are insect-eating plants. They are called Nepenthes. The river is a very busy and important place for nature.

The Mahakam River is a massive waterway in Indonesia. It is located in the East Kalimantan province on the island of Borneo. This river is the third longest on the island, following the Kapuas and Barito rivers.

It starts in the highlands of Long Apari. From there, it flows southeast toward the Makassar Strait. The river is a vital part of the land. It drains a huge area of about 77,100 square kilometers.

The river moves through many different types of land. It begins by flowing through rocks in the upper parts. In the middle, it travels through a flat lowland area. This area is a tropical plain surrounded by peat land.

Here, the river meets many small channels. These channels connect the river to about thirty shallow lakes. The largest of these are Lake Jempang, Lake Semayang, and Lake Melintang. The water levels in these lakes change with the seasons. They can rise by seven meters during the rainy season.

History shows that people have explored this region for a long time. Scientists like R.W. van Bemmelen studied the geology of the river in 1949. Later, researchers like Voss studied the area in 1983. People also found oil in the lower Mahakam area quite early. Field studies began in 1888. By 1897, workers found oil at a shallow depth. They started producing it in 1898. This area is now a very important place for oil and gas.

Many specific facts define this river system. The climate is a tropical rainforest type. It gets a lot of rain, averaging 3,163 mm every year. This rain comes from wind patterns like the monsoon. There are two peaks of rainfall each year.

The river is also home to many living things. There are 147 types of freshwater fish in the water. You can even find the Irrawaddy dolphin here. Local people call this rare dolphin the Pesut. It is a very special and endangered animal.

The Mahakam River connects people to their environment every day. Many people living near the lakes work as fishermen. They catch a lot of fish to support their lives. The river is also used for moving goods. You might see boats carrying coal along the water.

Near the coast, the delta has many mangroves and swamps. People are working hard to replant these forests. This helps keep the ecosystem healthy for the future. The river remains a busy and important part of Borneo.

The Mahakam River is a massive waterway in Indonesia. It is located in the East Kalimantan province on the island of Borneo. This river is the third longest river on Borneo. It also has the third greatest volume of water discharge. It follows the Kapuas River and the Barito River in size.

The river drains a huge catchment area of approximately 77,100 square kilometers. This area sits between 2 degrees north and 1 degree south latitude. It also lies between 113 degrees east and 118 degrees east longitude.

The river follows a specific geological path as it moves. It originates in the highlands of Long Apari. From there, it flows southeast toward the Makassar Strait. The river starts by flowing through tertiary rocks in the upper parts. Between Long Iram and Muara Kaman, it flows through quaternary alluvium. This is a type of sediment layer. In the downstream area, the river returns to flowing through tertiary rocks. The river meets the Kedang Pahu River at the city of Muara Pahu. Later, it meets three main tributaries named Belayan, Kedang Kepala, and Kedang Rantau.

The middle course of the river travels through a lowland plain. This area is known as the Mahakam lakes region. It is a flat tropical lowland surrounded by peat land. There are about 76 lakes spread across the entire river basin. About 30 of these shallow lakes sit in the middle Mahakam area. These lakes are connected to the main river by small channels. The three largest lakes are Lake Jempang, Lake Semayang, and Lake Melintang.

The lake levels change with the seasons. They can rise by seven meters during the rainy season. These lakes act as water storage for the region. They also trap sediment from the flowing water.

The climate in the Mahakam catchment is a tropical rainforest type. This is known as type Af in the Köppen climate classification. The area receives an average annual rainfall of 3,163 mm. This rain is driven by the Hadley cell. This is a large-scale pattern of air circulation in the atmosphere. It creates the Intertropical Convergence Zone, or ITCZ. The ITCZ moves with the sun. This movement causes a bimodal rainfall pattern. This means there are two peaks of rainfall each year. These peaks usually occur in December and May.

The river supports many different types of life. There are 147 identified species of indigenous freshwater fish. The river is also home to the Irrawaddy dolphin. Local people call this animal the Pesut. This dolphin is a critically endangered species.

In the delta, you can find many plants. The area has mangrove forests and Nypa swamps.

You can also find the Nepenthes plant. Local people call this insect-eater the kantong semar.

Many people living near the lakes work as fishermen. The middle lake area produces 25,000 to 35,000 metric tons of fish every year.

History shows that people have studied this river for a long time. R.W. van Bemmelen wrote about the geology of the river in 1949. Field investigations for the lower area began in 1888. In 1897, exploration drilling discovered oil at a shallow depth. Production began in 1898. This area is now the second most productive hydrocarbon basin in Indonesia. It contains about 3 billion barrels of oil. It also holds 30 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves.

The Mahakam delta is a very active environment. It is a mixed fluvial-tidal dominated delta. This means it is shaped by both river flow and ocean tides. The delta spreads like a broad fan over the shelf-sea. It has three main branches that flow northeast, southeast, and south. The delta contains mangrove areas near the shore. It also has Nypa swamps in the central areas. People have used some mangrove areas for shrimp ponds. However, many people are now working to restore these forests. They are replanting mangroves to help the ecosystem stay healthy.