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

See Figure 3.6 (ZGS, 1999). Umkondo sediments and dolerites, along with some granites and Mashonaland
Dolerites, underlie most of the sub-catchment. Mozambique Belt gneisses underlie the far north.
3.39.1.3 Pedology, agriculture and land use
Soils in the sub-catchment can be divided into two groups:
• Moderately shallow to deep, coarse grained kaolinitic sands and sandy loams, derived from the granites and
gneisses; and
• Moderately deep to deep, granular clays, formed from the dolerites (DRSS, 1979).
Most of the sub-catchment lies in Region I: over 900mm rainfall and over 1700m altitude. North of Nyamaropa
lies in Region IV: fairly low rainfall of 450mm to 650mm per annum (ZSG, 1997; Surveyor General and
AGRITEX, 1998).
Land use in the mountain country is specialised agriculture, mainly tea, coffee and fruit growing, and forestry. In
the north, land use is Communal Land and conventional resettlement land, with soils that are poorer and rainfall
lower, limiting agriculture to drought resistant crops and livestock supported by fodder crops.
3.39.1.4 Surface water users
Irrigation by tea and coffee estates and fruit plantations is a major water user, as is the Nyamaropa irrigation
project.
3.39.1.5 Water management systems
The sub-catchment falls under the Mazowe Catchment Council of ZINWA.
3.39.1.6 Human impacts on water resources (excluding mining)
The following could be expected to have an impact on water resources:
• Non-point domestic effluent, rural areas;
• Non-point impact of agriculture (pesticides, fertilizers, etc), especially where commercial agriculture is
practiced;
• Non-point impact of irrigation in redistribution of river waters; and
• Minor non-point impact from sparse, subsistence agriculture in the north.
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