Sebou River


Sebou is a river in northern Morocco. At its source in the Middle Atlas mountains it is known as the Guigou River. The river is 496 kilometers long and has an average water flow of 137 m3/s, which makes it the largest North African river by volume. It passes near the city of Fes and discharges to the Atlantic Ocean in Mehdia. Sebou is navigable for only 16 km as far as the city of Kenitra, which has the only river port in Morocco. Its most important tributaries are the Ouergha River, Baht River and Inaouen River. The river supports irrigation in Morocco's most fertile region: the Gharb.

History

Sebou was known in antiquity as Sububus. Pliny the Elder states that it was "magnificus et navigabilis", flowing near the town of Banasa.
In 1669-1670, the Alaouite sultan Moulay Rashid built a four-arched bridge over the river near Fes, which has been preserved today.

Environmental issues

A number of water pollutants enter the Sebou River, notably including pesticides and fertilisers from agricultural runoff and untreated sewage from towns along the river.