Chisimba Falls, also Chishimba Falls is a series of waterfalls located in Kasama District, in the Northern Province of Zambia. The waterfalls host the Chishimba Hydroelectric Power Station. The scenic views around the falls, together with a museum under development, are major tourist attractions.
Location The falls are located approximately , northwest of the city of Kasama, in Kasama District, in Zambia's Northern Province, off of the Kasama–Mporokoso Road (Road D20). The geographical coordinates of Chishimba Falls are: 10°06'30.0"S, 30°55'03.0"E (Latitude:-10.108333; Longitude:30.917500).
Overview The waterfall complex comprises three separate waterfalls spread over a distance of about along the Luombe River, as it flows in a general north to south direction. The upper falls are called Mutumuna Falls. Here the river drops approximately . The middle falls are known as the Kayela Rapids, where the river ripples down about . The lower falls are the main Chishimba Fall, where the river drops another estimated . This is a total drop of about .
Local attractions
A hydro-electric power plant, the 15 MW Chishimba Hydroelectric Power Station, that is owned and operated by ZESCO, is located at these falls. First commissioned in 1959, as a 0.9 MW installation, the power station was expanded to 6 MW in 1971. In the early 2020s the capacity of this mini-hydropower plant is under expansion to 15 megawatts.
The Chishimba Falls belong to the Monuments and Historic Sites of Zambia.
See also List of waterfalls List of waterfalls of Zambia List of power stations in Zambia
References
Notes
Leaflet "Chishimba falls", National Heritage Conservation Commission, 2009 Zambia's waterfall Wonderland: Zambia Tourism The Geographical Journal, Vol 86, No 4 (Oct 1935), pp. 356–357: