Kapuas River
River in West Kalimantan, Indonesia
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Through Drainage basin, River delta and Precipitation
Geography and hydrology
The river is 1,143 km (710 mi) long and 99,000 km2 (38,000 mi2) the river basin covers more than 67% of West Kalimantan. The river originates near the center of Borneo, south of the Indonesian-Malaysian border, in the joint between the western slope of the Müller Mountain Range, which runs through the island center, and the southern slope of the Upper Kapuas Range (Indonesian: Kapuas Hulu), which is located more to the west. For about 165 km (103 mi) it flows through a mountainous terrain and then descends to a marshy plain. There, the elevation decreases by only 50 m (0.031 mi) over 902 km (560 mi) from Putussibau to the river delta.
Kapuas Lakes
About 350 km (220 mi) from the source, near the northern shore of the river, lies a system of Kapuas Lakes which are connected to the river by numerous channels. These lakes are Bekuan (area 1,268 hectares), Belida (600 ha), Genali (2,000 ha), Keleka Tangai (756 ha), Luar (5,208 ha), Pengembung (1,548 ha), Sambor (673 ha), Sekawi (672 ha), Sentarum (2,324 ha), Sependan (604 ha), Seriang (1,412) Sumbai (800 ha), Sumpa (664) and Tekenang (1,564 ha). When the monthly precipitation exceeds about 300 mm (12 in), the river overflows its banks, diverting much of its waters to the lakes at a rate of up to 1,000 m3/s (35,000 cu ft/s), and forming a single volume of water with them. This outflow prevents massive flooding of the lower reaches of the river; it also promotes fish migration from the river to the lakes for spawning but drives birds away from the lakes.
Delta
The river discharges into the South China Sea creating a marshy delta, which spreads both inland and into the sea, with the silt deposits extending up to 50–60 km (31–37 mi) from the Borneo coast. The delta is located west-southwest of Pontianak, the capital of West Kalimantan province, which lies at the equator. The delta has five arms, of which the northernmost is the widest, and is therefore called the Big Kapuas (Indonesian: Kapuas Besar).
Discharge
The average annual rainfall in the catchment area is 3,666 mm. The average runoff is around 2,339 mm. The discharge rate varies through the year, averaging around 5,600–7,800 m3/s (200,000–280,000 cu ft/s) at the delta and 2,000 m3/s (71,000 cu ft/s) upstream, at the confluence of the Tawang. The discharge peaks during the rainy seasons in April and November, during which the water level may rise by 10–12 m (33–39 ft) overnight, overflowing river banks and flooding the nearby areas.
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Tributaries
The largest tributary is the Melawi, which occurs to the left near Sintang, about 465 km from the mouth. Other major tributaries are the Landak, Sekayam, Ketungau, Tawang, Bunut and Embaloh rivers.
The main tributaries from the mouth:
*Period: 1971–2000
Climate
The climate is warm and very humid, with the average annual precipitation ranging from year to year between 2,863 and 5,517 mm (Köppen Climate-classification Af), and the number of rainy days between 120 and 309; the largest precipitation was observed in 1976 (120 rainy days) and the wettest in 1988, with only 184 rainy days. The temperature is rather stable with a typical minimum of 24 °C (75 °F) and a maximum of 32 °C (90 °F) throughout the whole year.
Flora and fauna
In the upper and middle reaches, the river flows through dense tropical forests; the rich flora and fauna are the subject of international research. Discoveries of new species are frequent, such as the Kapuas mud snake (Enhydris gyii), which was discovered in 2003–2005 by German and American herpetologists. This species is remarkable because it can spontaneously change its skin color, similar to the chameleon.
Otters and crocodiles are common in the Kapuas River, but frogs are nearly absent. Agile gibbons (Hylobates agilis), Müller's Bornean gibbons (Hylobates muelleri), Prevost's squirrels (Callosciurus prevostii), and treeshrews inhabit the trees above the river.
There are two national parks on the river banks, Betung Kerihun with an area of 8,000 km2, and Danau Sentarum (an area of 1,320 km2), the latter includes the Kapuas Lakes.
Fish
About 300 fish species have been identified in the river basin, of which 234 are of high economic value. There are more fish species than any other river basin in Indonesia. They belong to 120 genera and 40 families with the two major groups being cyprinids and catfish. More than 30% of the species originate from the sea and inhabit the delta areas. Among the economically important species are food fish such as Pangasius catfish, giant gourami, kissing gourami, snakeheads, and large cyprinids such as Tor mahseers and barbs such as Leptobarbus and Puntioplites, and species for the aquarium trade such as the super red arowana and various rasboras. Because of overfishing and habitat degradation, several species are threatened. Among these endangered species are the arowana and white-edge freshwater whipray, and the wallago catfish, which formerly migrated in large schools up and down the Kapuas River.
Part of the high species diversity in the Kapuas is related to the many different habitats in the river basin. In the headwaters are fast-flowing highland streams, typically dominated by small loaches, and small —often acidic (blackwater)— forest streams and peat swamps with species such as the tiny Sundadanio rasboras, Sphaerichthys gouramis, and macropodusine gouramis. The main river also includes several habitats, ranging from the nearshore to open waters. In the deepest sections, no light exists and in one species, Lepidocephalus spectrum, this has resulted in a complete reduction of both eyes and pigmentation (similar to cavefish).
Owing to the warm climate and abundance of food, most fishes breed all through the year with only a few species like fire eel (Mastacembelus erythrotaenia) having certain reproductive periods. The number of individuals per species is relatively low. The large variety of species may be explained by the fact that some 6,000 years ago, the Kapuas River, as a tributary of the Sunda River, was connected to other tributary rivers of South Sumatra, Java, and the Malay Peninsula. Apart from fish, there are numerous crabs, prawns (such as the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii), water striders, and other aquatic insects. The rich flora and fauna result in very complex food chains, with fishes consuming foods ranging from fruits to other fish. For example, Hemirhamphodon pogonognathus feeds exclusively on terrestrial insects. Abundant fruits and seeds enter the river after falling from large trees that bend over its waters. The feeding habits of the fish in the Kapuas River are distributed as follows: 54% are omnivores; 36% are carnivorous and eat other fish (14%), insects (5%), and mixed small forest animals (17%). The remaining 10% are herbivorous, with 4% specialising in algae.
Transport and economic value
The Kapuas River is the major waterway connecting the center of the island with its western coast. The large river width and depth (up to 27 meters) support intensive cargo and passenger shipping over most of the river length. Ships with a draft of up to 3 meters can navigate up to Sintang, 465 km from the mouth, and those with a draft of up to 2 meters can reach the town of Putussibau (902 km from the mouth). Logging and rafting of timber occur all along the river. Fishing is also common, especially at the Kapuas Lakes and near the river delta. The Tayan Bridge which opened in 2016, crosses over the river and is the longest bridge in Kalimantan. Another major bridge over the area is the Kapuas I Bridge. In 2022, the local government decided to build a newer bridge to accommodate increased traffic in commuters and goods, located to be in parallel with the existing bridge.