OVERVIEW OF THE IMPACT OF MINING ON THE ... - IIED pubs

3.35.1.3 Pedology, agriculture and land use
Soils in the sub-catchment can be divided into three groups:
• Very shallow, gravelly soils in the hills along the Zambezi Escarpment;
• Moderately shallow, coarse grained sandy, kaolinitic soils derived from granites; and
• Moderately shallow to moderately deep sands, highly sodic in places, formed from Upper Karoo and Dande
sediments (DRSS, 1979).
Above the Zambezi Escarpment, the sub-catchment lies generally within Natural Region IIa: high and reliable
rainfall of up to 1000mm per annum and deep soils. Land below the escarpment is in Region IV: fairly low
rainfall of 450mm to 650mm per annum (ZSG, 1997; Surveyor General and AGRITEX, 1998).
Land use is commercial farming, private and resettlement land, south of the Zambezi Escarpment (ZSG, 1998),
with intensive livestock and cash crop production. Below the escarpment are Communal Lands and an ARDA
Estate, where poor soils and low rainfall limit agriculture to some livestock, cotton and a few drought resistant
crops.
The major settlements are Muzarabani, Centenary and Mvurwi Towns. Population is growing significantly in the
Muzarabani area.
3.35.1.4 Surface water users
Irrigation by commercial agriculture is a major water user above the Zambezi Escarpment, and at the ARDA
estate near Muzarabani. The town draws water for domestic use.
3.35.1.5 Water management systems
The sub-catchment falls under the Manyame Catchment Council of ZINWA.
3.35.1.6 Human impacts on water resources (excluding mining)
The following could be expected to have an impact on water resources:
• Landfills, urban areas of Centenary, Muzarabani and Mvurwi;
• Disposal of liquid effluent, urban areas of Centenary, Muzarabani and Mvurwi;
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