Business Case forthe Pongola-Umzimkulu Catchment Management ...

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#S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S #S Business Case for the Pongola-Umzimkulu Catchment Management Agency N Amsterdam MPUMALANGA Piet Retief SWAZILAND Newcastle Utrecht Paulpietersburg Louwsburg Hlobane Vryheid Pongola Nongoma FREESTATE Dundee Glencoe THUKELA WMA Ladysmith USUTU TO MHLATHUZE WMA Ulundi Melmoth Mtubatuba St Lucia LESOTHO Cedarville Bergville Colenso Empangeni #S #S #S Winterton WeenenKWAZULU NATAL Eshowe Kokstad Estcourt Mooirivier Empendle Himeville MVOTI TO UMZIMKULU WMA Richmond Creighton Ixopo Howick Greytown Wartburg Pietermaritzburg Mandini Darnall Salt Rock Tongaat Durban Umbogintwini Mtunzini Zinkwazi Beach Blythedale Beach Scottburgh INDIAN OCEAN Richards Bay Port Shepstone EASTERN CAPE Ramsgate 50 0 50 100 Kilometers Figure 1: Original WMAs in KZN (Wilson, 2001) Figure 2: Pongola-UmzimkuluWMA This WMA is especially complex, as it covers an area of high season rainfall, with heavy demands on water resources from the agricultural sector, industrial, mining and urban domestic sectors. The rivers, dams and freshwater resources of the WMA accounts for 40% of South Africa’s total water resources (KZN Provincial Planning Commission, 2011). In addition, certain rivers within the WMA are classified as international as their catchments are shared by Mozambique, Lesotho or Swaziland. The north of the WMA, formally the Usuthu to MhlatuzeWMA contains major rivers including the Pongola, Mhlatuze, Mkuze and Mfolozi. The Pongola River rises near Wakkerstroom in Kwa-Zulu Natal and flows eastdescending steeply west of the Lebombo Mountains. Its catchment is 7080km 2 , which is shared with Lesotho and Mozambique. The river is dammed at Jozini in KZN, and eventually joins the Maputu River in Mozambique. The Usuthu River starts in Mpumalanga, flows though Swaziland, re-enters South Africa and flows through Mozambique, finally emptying into Maputo Bay. Both these rivers have a number of tributaries and dams along the rivers. The MhlatuzeRiver is a tributary of the Usuthu and has a catchment area of 4209km 2 . This catchment area is in a high rainfall region, contains several freshwater lakes and contains a large dam called the Goedertrouw Dam, which is critical for the provision of water to the Richards Bay industrial complex. The area experiences water quality issues. The Thukela River is the largest river in the country by volume and is classified as a principal river. Its catchment area is most of western Kwa-Zulu Natal which covers 29 000km 2 . Its major tributary is the Buffalo River and has smallertributaries namely, the Bushmans, Mooi, Little Thukela, Kip, Sundays and Blood Rivers. The main dams on the Thukela River are the Driel Barrage, Spioenekop and Woodstock Dams. The Thukela is also part of a transfer scheme to feed the Vaal River System. Water from the Thukela and its tributaries are critical for both subsistence and commercial farming. Due to the mining activities which happens in the area, there are acid mine drainage issues and high pathogens within the water systems which pose health issues. Department of Water Affairs 6
Business Case for the Pongola-Umzimkulu Catchment Management Agency The last of the three WMA’s incorporated into the Pongola-UmzimkuluWMA is the former Umvoti to UmzimkuluWMA. This WMA is especially significant as it provides water to the Durban and Pietermaritzburg areas. Durban has a strong industrial and commercial base and is classified as the second largest metropolitan complex in South Africa. The WMA contains varying extremes, from extensive commercial sugar cane farming and timber and pulp production in the north and east to cattle herding and subsistence farming in the South and a dense urban population within the Ethikwini municipality. The major rivers in the area are the Mvoti, Mgeni, Mkomazi, Umzimkulu and Mtamvuna Rivers. Although the area borders with Lesotho, it shares no catchment area and as such none of the rivers are classified as international rivers. Due to the industrial nature of the area, it has been experiencing water quality issues. 2.2 Topography The Pongolo-UmzimkuluWMA topography ranges from sea level to about 3000m as indicated in Figure 3. It has three distinct topographical types. The first is the coastland lowlying region, which forms a narrow band in the south and widens towards the north. It typically has thick subtropical thicket and some forest. The central region is known as the Natal Midlands and can be described as a hilly plateau. The midlands has moist grasslands and some pockets of forests. The third type is the mountainous area in the west and the north of the WMA, which are part of two major mountain ranges, the Drakensberg and the Lebombo Mountains. These areas have savanna and alpine grasslands. Due to the nature of the topology and richness of its biodiversity, the WMA has two wetlands, which have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Furthermore, this varying typology results in differential temperature ranges and climatic conditions. Figure 3: Elevation within the WMA (KZN Provincial Planning Commission, 2011) Department of Water Affairs 7
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