Vet River

River in South Africa
Vet River is located in South Africa
Vet River
Location of the Vet River mouth
EtymologyTranslated into Afrikaans from its Khoekhoe name Geigoub, meaning 'great fat'.[1]Native nameGeigoub (Khoekhoe)LocationCountrySouth AfricaRegionFree StatePhysical characteristicsSource  • locationBetween Marquard and Clocolan • elevation1,269 m (4,163 ft) MouthVaal River
 • location
Bloemhof Dam
 • coordinates
27°41′S 25°40′E / 27.683°S 25.667°E / -27.683; 25.667
 • elevation
1,241 m (4,072 ft)Basin featuresTributaries  • rightSand River

The Vet River (Afrikaans: Vetrivier) is a westward-flowing tributary of the Vaal River in central South Africa. Its sources are between Marquard and Clocolan and the Vet River flows roughly northwestwards to meet the Vaal at the Bloemhof Dam near Hoopstad.

Erfenis Dam was built on this river in order to provide water for the town of Theunissen.[2]

Tributaries

Vet River (middle right) on a map of 1887

Its main tributary is the Sand River which joins it from the east.

The actual Vet river is formed at the confluence of the Klein Vet and the Groot Vet upstream from the Erfenis Dam.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ Dictionary of Southern African Place Names
  2. ^ Op pad in Suid-Afrika. 1995. Bl 263
  3. ^ Middle Vaal WMA 9

External links

  • Free State Region River Systems
  • Military History Journal, Vol 10 No 3 - The skirmish at Vet River, 1846