Tonle Sap
Tonle Sap is a mapped river in the YearMaps hydrographic index. River courses organise settlement, agriculture and frontier-making more durably than any political boundary, and this reach is indexed against the dams, lakes and cities within its catchment.
- Feature Class
- River
- Coordinates
- 12.00°, 104.80°
About Tonle Sap
Tonle Sap (Khmer: ទន្លេសាប [tŭən.ˈlei saːp]) is a river in Cambodia that connects the Tonle Sap lake with the Mekong river. The river is known for its unusual seasonal reversal, which plays a crucial role in supporting biodiversity, sustaining local livelihoods, enhancing agricultural productivity, and contributing to the ecological, economic, and cultural vitality of the region.
Encyclopedic summary adapted from Wikipedia: Tonle Sap River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Tonle Sap in Depth
Geography
From the lake, the Tonle Sap flows 147 kilometres (91 mi) southeast to its confluence with the Mekong river near Phnom Penh, Cambodia. During the dry season, the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers merge, but in the monsoon season (May to October), the Mekong's floods cause the Tonle Sap river to reverse its flow. The reversal carries water, along with fish eggs and larvae, into Tonle Sap Lake, where they find a nutrient-rich environment that supports their feeding and growth.
The confluence of the Mekong, Tonle Sap, and Bassac rivers, known as Chaktomuk, holds significant ecological and economic importance for Cambodia. It is a crucial source of drinking water for around 1.5 million residents of Phnom Penh, as well as supplying water for various industrial and commercial activities.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Tonle Sap River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Tonle Sap: Key Facts
| Length | 112 km |
|---|---|
| Drainage basin | 85,000 km² |
| Source | Tonle Sap |
| Mouth | Mekong River |
Facts from Wikidata Q939958 (CC0).
Major River Dossiers
Hand-written studies of the great river systems of history.
Connected Reaches
Nearby watercourses in the same drainage network.
Water Bodies in the Catchment
Settlements Along the Reach
Hydraulic Infrastructure Nearby
Surrounding Terrain
Tonle Sap: Quick Answers
- Where is Tonle Sap?
- Tonle Sap is located in Cambodia, at 12.0022° N, 104.7963° E.
- Are there dams on the Tonle Sap?
- No dam on the Tonle Sap is recorded in the YearMaps dam index, which covers major structures only.