AbstractUntil today, the majority of the Zambian rivers have been able to keep their natural character. Impoundment has been the principal measure carried out so far. The Kafue River is the most important waterway for the national economy. Its middle and lower sections are regulated by the Itezhi‐tezhi and Kafue Gorge Reservoirs. The changes in the natural flow pattern have threatened the ecological equilibrium of the Kafue Flats. Conductivity, concentration of sulphates and chlorides are reduced in the regulated section.