A cluster of Dassanech homesteads and granaries, surrounded by water, have been built on high ground along the banks of the Omo River. The dome-shaped granaries are kept high off the ground to protect them from flood damage. The Omo River rises in the Ethiopian Highlands and flows for over 600 miles before discharging its waters into the northern end of Lake Turkana. Once a year following rains in the highlands, the river rises and bursts its banks, flooding the low-lying plains. After the water has subsided, the Dassanech plant crops in the fertile soil. Without flooding, there would be no agriculture because the annual rainfall is too low.The Dassanech speak a language of Eastern Cushitic origin. They practice animal husbandry and fishing as well as agriculture.