The chemical characteristics of floodwaters in ephemeral rivers are little known, particularly with regard to their organic loads. These rivers typically exhibit a pronounced downstream hydrological decay but few studies have documented its effect on chemical characteristics and material transport. To develop a better understanding of the dynamics of floods and associated material transport in large ephemeral rivers, floods of the ephemeral Kuiseb River in south-western Africa were tracked and repeatedly sampled at multiple points along the river's lower 220 km. Keywords: material transport, water chemistry, ephemeral river.