Biodiversity (1 - SRK Consulting

Figure 36. View north from the southern sandy area with mainly Centropodia grass, looking north
of the eastern half of the Windhoekberg (with the N14 passing at the extreme left of the picture.
• Bare washes and pans. Although not obvious under the dry conditions of our
visit, during periods of exceptional rainfall there are watercourses that flow and
pans that fill with water, supporting a range of unusual biodiversity and a major
attractant to water birds. The Koa River wash is the most obvious, with Pans 1 &
2 in its bed, but these satellite images and elevated images (see 4 below) also
show a network of minor 'tributaries' draining off the surrounding slopes and
mountains, often with a more vegetated 'gutter' around their edges. The previous
marsh, now converted to a dam by the mines at the northeast corner, provides
permanent open water and relatively dense reeds and bushes, some of which
overflows onto Zuurwater. Bushes and temporary marginal vegetation also forms
around the dry pans after high rainfall seasons.
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