Siem Reap River Explained

Siem Reap River
Source1 Location:Phnom Kulen[1]
Subdivision Type1:Country
Length:80 km
Source1 Elevation:420 m
Discharge1 Avg:6.8m3/s
Basin Size:670 km2

The Siem Reap River (Steung Siem Reap; Central Khmer: ស្ទឹងសៀមរាប) is a river flowing through Siem Reap Province, in north-west Cambodia. The Siem Reap River was originally an offtake channel constructed during the Angkor period, used to divert water from the Puok River southward, probably to the East Baray. Because of the straight nature of a channel, the water flowed much faster than in a natural river. This caused the bed of the channel to erode as much as 10 meters in some areas, and probably caused problems with diverting the water to the East Baray. Over the past thousand years, the channel has gained small meanders and a unique ecosystem, and thus it is more accurate to call it a river.[2]

Notes and References

  1. THE STUDY ON WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR SIEM REAP REGION IN CAMBODIA .
  2. Kummu . Matti . Lustig . Terry . Is the Siem Reap River a river? . September 2005 .