coaltech upper olifants river catchment wetland inventory ...

1. INTRODUCTION
The Environmental Business Unit of Exigent Engineering Consultants was appointed by
Coaltech 2020 to collate all available literature on the wetlands in the Upper Olifants
River Catchment (UORC) and to compile a wetland map for the area with an associated
wetland database.
The UORC as defined by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) includes
the Olifants River and all its tributaries up to the Loskop Dam (Figure 1). In the report
compiled by Palmer et al (2002) on wetlands in the UORC, the Olifants River and its
tributaries up to the confluence of the Olifants River and the Klein Olifants River were
included (Figure 3). In this report the UORC boundary encompasses the larger area as
defined by DWAF (referred to as “the site”). The site incorporates the area as defined by
Palmer et al (2002), but extends further to the north and east. A portion of Gauteng, as
well as Mpumalanga is included in the catchment.
According to the National Water Act (No 36 of 1998) a wetland is defined as, “land which is
transitional between terrestrial and aquatic systems where the water table is usually at or
near the surface, or the land is periodically covered with shallow water, and which land in
normal circumstances supports or would support vegetation typically adapted to life in
saturated soil.” This definition includes all naturally occurring wetlands and pans, but
excludes rivers, lakes and artificial wetlands, except for the transition zone from the river/lake
and the terrestrial ecosystem.
The definition of wetlands as defined in the Convention on Wetlands of International
Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar Convention) has a broader concept.
Article 1.1 of the Ramsar Convention includes the following definition (Cowan 1995): “areas
of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with
water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas or marine water the
depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres”. Rivers, lakes and artificial wetlands,
as well as tidal zones, are therefore included in this definition.
Wetland Database for UORC - 12 -