Hydrology: all major rivers in Senegal are rising this week.

The hydrological situation in Senegal's main river basins remains marked by a general rise in water levels. This is according to the weekly bulletin from the Directorate of Water Resources Management and Planning (DGPRE), covering the period from August 26 to September 1, 2026.

Water levels have risen at all monitored hydrological stations on the Senegal, Gambia, and Casamance rivers over the past week. The DGPRE bulletin specifically addresses the stations at Bakel, Kidira, Matam, and Podor on the Senegal River, as well as Kédougou, Diaguiri, Mako, Simenti, and Gouloumbou on the Gambia River. In Casamance, the Kolda and Médina Namo stations are also monitored.

A significant rise in the Senegal River

On the Senegal River, the largest rise was recorded at Kidira, where the water level rose from 3.71 meters at the beginning of the week to 4.47 meters at the end, an increase of 76 centimeters.

In Bakel, the water level rose from 5.48 to 6.18 meters, an increase of 70 centimeters. In Matam, the rise was more moderate, from 5.08 to 5.20 meters, with a rise of 12 centimeters. In Podor, the water level rose slightly by 1 centimeter, from 3.47 to 3.48 meters.

Despite these increases, the levels observed in these four stations remain lower than those of the same period of the previous hydrological year.

Severe rise in water levels in the Gambia basin

The Gambia River basin also shows a general upward trend, with particularly significant increases at certain stations.

Simenti recorded the biggest change of the week: the water level went from 5.45 to 9 meters, a spectacular rise of 3.55 meters.

In Diaguiri, the rise reached 2.28 meters, with the level increasing from 1.85 to 4.13 meters. Gouloumbou saw a rise of 1.31 meters, while Mako progressed by 95 centimeters.

In Kédougou, the water level rose from 4.18 to 4.50 meters, an increase of 32 centimeters. The alert level there is set at 7 meters, leaving a margin of 2.50 meters before reaching that threshold.

With the exception of Kédougou, whose average level is indicated as being higher than that of the reference period 2025/2026, the other stations in the Gambia basin show lower average levels.

Casamance also on the rise

In the Casamance basin, the progression is slower but remains widespread.

In Kolda, the water level rose from 0.79 to 0.85 meters, an increase of 6 centimeters. In Medina Namo, it rose from 4.20 to 4.26 meters, also an increase of 6 centimeters.

The levels observed in these two stations remain lower than those recorded at the same time of the previous hydrological year.

Levels still below those of 2025 in several stations

However, comparison with the same period of the previous year adds nuance to this weekly increase.

On the Senegal River, the levels of September 1, 2026 are lower than those observed on the same date in 2025: -34.67% in Bakel, -36.74% in Matam, -23.85% in Podor and -44.26% in Kidira.

Along the Gambia River, the situations are mixed. Mako and Simenti show increases of 12.11% and 12.92% respectively, while Kédougou falls by 5.46% and Gouloumbou by 9.47%. Diaguiri, for its part, records an increase of 1.98%.

In Casamance, levels also remain below those of 2025, with variations of -23.08% in Kolda and -13.06% in Medina Namo.

Vigilance remains essential.

The DGPRE thus notes a rise in the water level in all stations of the Senegal, Gambia and Casamance rivers during the week of August 26 to September 1, 2026.

This trend, however, occurs in a context where several stations are still showing levels lower than those of the same period last year. Monitoring river levels therefore remains important, particularly in riparian areas, given the significant variations recorded at some stations in the Gambia River basin.