Marico River
title: "Marico River" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["rivers-of-botswana", "international-rivers-of-africa", "tributaries-of-the-limpopo-river", "botswana–south-africa-border", "rivers-of-north-west-(south-african-province)", "rivers-of-limpopo"] topic_path: "geography/south-africa" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marico_River" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox river"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Marico River |
| name_other | |
| name_etymology | From the Bahurutse Madikwa, meaning "there is blood". |
| image | |
| image_caption | Madikwe Game Reserve |
| mapframe | yes |
| mapframe-zoom | 6 |
| mapframe-point | none |
| pushpin_map | South Africa |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location of the Marico River's mouth |
| subdivision_type1 | |
| subdivision_name1 | South Africa, Botswana |
| subdivision_type3 | Region |
| subdivision_name3 | North West Province, Limpopo Province |
| subdivision_name5 | |
| discharge1_max | |
| source1 | Marico Oog |
| source1_location | Ngaka Modiri, South Africa |
| source1_coordinates | |
| source1_elevation | 1482 m |
| mouth | Limpopo River |
| mouth_location | near Oliphants Drift, South Africa/Botswana border |
| mouth_coordinates | |
| mouth_elevation | 872 m |
| progression | Limpopo River → Indian Ocean |
| length | 282 km |
| basin_size | 13208 km2 |
| extra | |
| :: |
| name = Marico River | native_name = | native_name_lang = | name_other = | name_etymology = From the Bahurutse Madikwa, meaning "there is blood". | image = River, Madikwe Game Reserve.jpg | image_size = | image_caption = Madikwe Game Reserve | mapframe = yes | mapframe-zoom = 6 | mapframe-point = none | map_size = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = South Africa | pushpin_map_size = | pushpin_map_caption = Location of the Marico River's mouth | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = South Africa, Botswana | subdivision_type2 = | subdivision_name2 = | subdivision_type3 = Region | subdivision_name3 = North West Province, Limpopo Province | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = | subdivision_name5 = | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location = | discharge1_min = | discharge1_avg = | discharge1_max = | source1 = Marico Oog | source1_location = Ngaka Modiri, South Africa | source1_coordinates = | source1_elevation = 1482 m | mouth = Limpopo River | mouth_location = near Oliphants Drift, South Africa/Botswana border | mouth_coordinates = | mouth_elevation = 872 m | progression = Limpopo River → Indian Ocean | length = 282 km | river_system = | basin_size = 13208 km2 | tributaries_left = | tributaries_right = | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra = ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Limpopo_watershed_topo.png" caption="Course and Watershed of the [[Limpopo River"] ::
The Marico River or Madikwe is a river in Southern Africa. There are a number of dams in its basin. Groot Marico town is named after the Marico River. After it is joined on its right bank by the Crocodile River it is known as the Limpopo River.
Course
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Marico_Oog.jpg" caption="Eye of Marico, the source of the Marico River"] ::
The river starts off as the Groot Marico River in the Marico Oog (Eye of Marico in Afrikaans), near Rustenburg and Swartruggens in the North West Province of South Africa. The source of the river is a large dolomitic hole in the ground with clear water, which is also a spectacular scuba diving spot. It flows northwards as the Great Marico (Groot Marico) and further downstream the smaller Klein Marico River joins forces. For a stretch it is named Madikwene River, but after the Sehubyane River (Sandsloot) joins its left bank, it reverts to the name Marico.
It continues flowing northwards, bending northeastwards and forming the border between South Africa and Botswana. Further downstream the Crocodile River joins the Marico River from the right and the name of the stream after the confluence becomes the Limpopo River. About 5 km short of the confluence the Notwane River joins the Limpopo from the southwest.
Dams in the river basin
The Marico River is part of the Crocodile (West) and Marico Water Management Area. Dams in the river basin are:
- Molatedi Dam
- Kromellenboog Dam
- Marico-Bosveld Dam
- Uitkyk Dam
- Klein-Maricopoort Dam
- Sehujwane Dam
- Madikwe Dam
References
References
- [http://www.fionaayerst.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Marico-Oog-Aug-Sept-08.pdf Marico Oog Gallery]
- [http://www.fao.org/docrep/008/y5744e/y5744e07.htm Major rivers and streams within the Limpopo River Basin]
- "Major dams in the Marico River".
- [http://www.marico.co.za/ Marico - Africa at its best]
- "South Africa Information: Groot Marico".
- [http://travelingluck.com/Africa/South+Africa/North-West/_990260_Klein-Maricorivier.html#local_map Klein-Maricorivier, North-West, South Africa]
- [http://www.dwaf.gov.za/iwqs/rhp/eco/FROC/WMA3CrocMarico.jpg Crocodile (West) & Marico WMA 3]
- "Limpopo Drainage Network".
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::