| Description |
Lies on the western part of the Upper Gulf of Thailand. It starts from the confluence of Kwai Noi and Kwai Yai rives in Kanchanburi Province. It flows through Ratchaburi Province and Samut Songkhram Province into the the Gulf of Thailand. The slope of the river is about 1:5000 between Kanchanaburi and Tamaka sub-district (in Kanchanburi province) and 1:7250 from Tamaka to the river mouth. The channel cross-section is a wide U-shape with typical flow velocity of 0.3 to 0.4 m/sec. The river discharge is 35-100 m3/sec from January to May, increases to 150-950 m3/sec from June to December, with the peak discharge in August or September (Thailand Enviornment Foundation 1997). The tidal range varies from 1-2 m at neap tides to 2-3 m at spring tides. Tidal intrusion extends 28 km upstream in the dry season and less than 8 km from the river mouth in the west season (Hungspreugs et al. 1987). Can be divided into 2 sub-basins. The lower sub-basin, under the influence of seawater intrusion, extends from the Mae Klong River mouth in Samut Songkhram Province to Sirilak Bridge in Ratchaburi Province. This sub-basin extends is about 45 km long, with a highly populated area near the coast. Patches of mangrove a and broad mudflats occupy the coastline of Samut Songkhram Province, supporting mussel and clam cultivation. The main activities in the coastal area include aquaculture, salt ponds and fisheries, particularly razor clam harvesting. Fish, shellfish and jellyfish are important fishery products from the area. The upper sub-basin extends 95 km, from Photharam district, Ratchaburi Province to Maung district in Kanchanaburi Province. Most of the land use consists of pig and duck farming, agriculture, pulp and paper production and sugar refining (Ref. 51207). |