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RIVER PROTECTION WORKS
by WCDOA pubs
Restoring ecological infrastructure in Elandskloof and Meul Rivers
by Giselle Terblanche and Daniel Johnson
TThe Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Dr Ivan Meyer, officially handed over the Meerlustkloof and Meul Project, near Genadendal in the Overberg Region, to the Zonderend Water User Association in September last year.
The two-river protection works projects are situated within the Elandskloof River (i.e., the Meerlustkloof project) and the Meul River (i.e., the Meul Project). The Elandskloof River and Meul River are important tributaries for the Riviersonderend River. The Riviersonderend River, 140km in length, is an important water source for the agricultural sector in the Overberg district.
It provides water to about 107 irrigation farmers with approximately 6 017ha in summer and 1 389ha in winter. The river is critical to support ecological functioning and services in the region. The distribution and management of water use is administered by the Zonderend Water User Association (ZWUA).
In November 2008, an extreme flood incident created large scale damage to agricultural land and infrastructure in the area. The flood caused major erosion and depositing of sediment over the full length of the river, which caused concentrated diversion of flow and destruction to production agricultural developments.
Theewaterskloof Dam is an earth-fill type dam located on the Sonderend River near Villiersdorp, Western Cape. It was established in 1978 and is the largest dam in the Western Cape Water Supply System with a capacity of 480 million cubic metres. The dam mainly serves for municipal and industrial use as well as for irrigation purposes.
The impact of the severe flood, high levels of alien invasive plant infestations and continuous unlawful activities in the river, necessitated a permanent solution, both from an agricultural and an environmental perspective.
The implementation of the river protection structures (groynes and weirs), reinforce the riverbanks and create a zone of lower velocity where the tendency for erosion is less and where the deposition of silt may occur. Along with velocity control, the structures are designed to control floods, combat erosion and rehabilitate riverbanks. The structures will benefit all farmers situated along the river course and create employment in the respective communities.
