Gambia River: Water levels rising at several stations, yellow alert in Kédougou and Simenti

The hydrological situation of the Gambia River is showing mixed results this Monday, August 24, 2026. Several stations have recorded a rise in water levels over the past 24 hours, while Mako is showing a decrease. Two stations are under yellow alert, urging the public to remain vigilant.

According to the daily hydrological bulletin of the Gambia River, established by the Water Resources Brigade of Tambacounda/Kédougou, the river level is rising in several measuring stations as of August 24, 2026.

In Kédougou, the water level recorded at 8 a.m. was 3.93 meters, compared to 3.68 meters the previous day, representing a rise of 25 centimeters in 24 hours. Despite this increase, the level remains 3.07 meters below the alert threshold of 7 meters. The station is nevertheless under a yellow alert, urging caution.

The trend is also upward in Simenti, where the water level has risen from 6.02 to 6.16 meters, an increase of 14 centimeters. With the alert level set at 13 meters, the gap remains significant at 6.84 meters.

In Gouloumbou, the water level reached 5.04 meters, compared to 4.76 meters the previous day, thus registering a rise of 28 centimeters. There too, the level remains well below the alert threshold of 12 meters, with a difference of 6.96 meters.

The most significant rise at the recorded stations was in Diaguiri. The water level there increased from 1.38 to 1.85 meters, a rise of 47 centimeters in 24 hours. With the alert level set at 6 meters, the difference remains at 4.15 meters.

On the Thiokoye side, the level remains relatively stable with a slight increase of 2 centimeters, going from 1.97 to 1.99 meters.

Conversely, the Mako station recorded a decrease. The water level dropped from 3.59 to 3.36 meters, a decrease of 23 centimeters in 24 hours. The alert level there is set at 6 meters, leaving a margin of error of 2.64 meters.

In Niokolokoba, the water level recorded at 8:00 AM was 1.40 meters. As the previous day's data was not yet available, no 24-hour change is indicated in the bulletin. However, in year-on-year comparison, the level shows a decrease of 5.15 meters compared to August 24, 2025.

The situation is generally under control.

Despite increases observed at several stations, the recorded levels remain, according to the bulletin, below the various alert thresholds. Yellow alerts are in effect for Kédougou and Simenti, while other stations are classified as green alerts, indicating no particular vigilance is required.

The bulletin also highlights an interannual situation generally lower than that observed at the same time in 2025. In Kédougou, for example, the level of August 24, 2026 is 0.66 meters lower than that recorded on August 24, 2025. In Simenti, the interannual decrease reaches 1.77 meters, while it is 2.53 meters in Gouloumbou.

The hydrological situation therefore remains a concern, particularly in areas affected by rapid rises in water levels. Data from the next bulletin will allow us to track the evolution of this dynamic on the Gambia River and its main tributaries.