Gorgol River
The Gorgol River is a river of southern Mauritania that is a tributary of the Sénégal River. The river is formed by the confluence of the Gorgol Noir, with the Gorgol Blanc. The Gorgol joins the Sénégal River at Kaédi.
The river basin plays an important in role in Mauritanian economy facilated by investment in the 1970s.
The Gorgol river was a source of concern amongst environmentalists from the mid-1970s with new water damming projects on the river. In 1976, Schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever, a parasitic disease caused by several species of fluke of the genus Schistosoma was believed to be increasing along the river valley resulting from disastrous Sahelian drought. A report conducted between May and November 1974, revealed the prevalence and intensity of schistosomiasis, and the relevant species of snails. Particularly affected was the Mbout area nearest the Foum Gleita Dam. Rates of schistisomiasis were lowest in Kaédi near the confluence of the Gorgol and Senegal rivers.
