IMPROVEMENT OF NATIONAL ROUTE N2 SECTION 3, FROM KM 0 AT CALEDON TO KM 48.67 AT RIVIERSONDEREND ECOLOGICAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT Prepared for: Prepared by: The Point, Suite 408, 4th Floor, 76 Regent Road, Sea Point, 8005. Cape Town | Western Cape | South Africa Also in Grahamstown, East London, Port Elizabeth and Maputo (Mozambique) www.cesnet.co.za | www.eoh.co.za September 2016 ECOLOGICAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT September 2016 REVISIONS TRACKING TABLE EOH Coastal and Environmental Services Report Title: Ecological Impact Assessment, SANRAL N2 Section 3 Caledon upgrade Report Version: Draft, Version 2 Version Date: 05.02.2016 Project Number: 121 Name Responsibility Signature Date Gideon Raath Author 19 September 2016 Dr Greer Hawley Review 19 September 2016 Copyright This document contains intellectual property and proprietary information that is protected by copyright in favour of EOH Coastal & Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd. (and the specialist consultants). The document may therefore not be reproduced, used or distributed to any third party without the prior written consent of Coastal & Environmental Services. Although this document is prepared exclusively for submission to the Client, EOH Coastal & Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd retains ownership of the intellectual property and proprietary information contained herein, which is subject to all confidentiality, copyright and trade secrets, rules intellectual property law and practices of South Africa. EOH Coastal and Environmental Services i Jeffares & Green Pty Ltd ECOLOGICAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT September 2016 THE PROJECT TEAM Dr A.M (Ted) Avis (Project Leader) Ted Avis is a leading expert in the field of Environmental Impact Assessments, having project- managed numerous large-scale ESIAs to international standards (e.g. International Finance Corporation). Ted was principle consultant to Corridor Sands Limitada for the development of all environment aspects for the US$1billion Corridor Sands Project. He has managed ESIA studies and related environmental assessments of similar scope in Kenya, Madagascar, Egypt, Malawi, Zambia and South Africa. Ted has worked across Africa, and also has experience in large scale Strategic Environmental Assessments in southern Africa, and has been engaged by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) on a number of projects. Ted was instrumental in establishing the Environmental Science Department at Rhodes University whilst a Senior lecturer in Botany, based on his experience running honours modules in EIA practice and environmental. He is an Honorary Visiting Fellow in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Rhodes. He was one of the first certified Environmental Assessment Practitioner in South Africa, gaining certification in April 2004. He has delivered papers and published in the field of EIA, Strategic Environmental Assessment and Integrated Coastal Zone Management and has been a principal of CES since its inception in 1990, and Managing Director since 1998. Ted holds a PhD in Botany, and was awarded a bronze medal by the South African Association of Botanists for the best PhD adjudicated in that year, entitled “Coastal Dune Ecology and Management in the Eastern Cape”. Ted is a Certified Environmental Assessment Practitioner (since 2002) and a professional member of the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professionals (since 1993). Dr Greer Hawley (Report review) Principal Consultant, has a BSc degree in Botany and Zoology and a BSc Honours in Botany from the University of Cape Town. She completed her PhD thesis (Microbiology) at Rhodes University. Greer has been involved in a number of diverse activities. The core academic focus has been directed in the field of taxonomy both in the plant and fungal kingdom. Greer's research ranges from studying fresh and marine algae, estuarine diatoms, Restio species classification in the fynbos and forest vegetation and fungal species identification and ecology. Greer's study of fungi have also contributed towards an understanding of soil ecology and "below ground" ecology. She is currently working on numerous impact assessments at the East London branch. Mr Gideon Raath (Author) Environmental Consultant, holds an MSc (Geography and Environmental Management; SU), a BSc Honours (Ecology and Environmental Studies - Cum laude; Wits) and a BSc (Geography and Environmental Management; UJ). His MSc thesis focussed on the hydrological impact on the spatial distribution of invasive Eucalyptus trees along the Breede River, while his honours thesis evaluated ethnobotanical relationships around the Rio Tinto copper mine in Phalaborwa. Most recently he has worked as a Monitoring & Evaluation Project Manager for the City of Cape Town's invasive species unit. Gideon works from the Cape Town office, and is interested in invasion ecology and the management of groundwater pollution through phytoremediation. EOH Coastal and Environmental Services ii Jeffares & Green Pty Ltd ECOLOGICAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT September 2016 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Background and summary The South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) proposes the upgrade of National Road 2 (N2), Section 3, a 48.22km long stretch of national road between Caledon and Riviersonderend, within the Theewaterskloof Local Municipality of the Western Cape. This work was deemed necessary in order to fulfil maintenance mandates, and improve road safety and condition for the future. The main items of the work to be undertaken in terms of construction are the roadworks, placement of drainage and culverts. The quarrying of source material might be necessary. The construction will necessitate the establishment of a Contractor’s and Engineers campsite, in the form of a construction camp. The works triggered a Basic Assessment process under NEMA (Act 107 of 1998), in addition to a mining rights application under the MPRDA (Act 28 of 2002) for the quarrying of source material from a nearby borrow pit. A water use licence application (iWULA) will also be submitted in accordance to the National Water Act (No. 36 of 1998) regulated by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) for new major drainage structures. Jeffares & Green: Engineering and Environmental Consulting, the project managers, contracted EOH Coastal & Environmental Services (EOH) as the Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP) to undertake the Environmental Impact Assessment. The climate has a mean annual rainfall ranging from 508.0mm/pa in Caledon, to 365.0mm/a in Riviersonderend (CapeFarmMapper 2015). The lowest mean monthly rainfall is 8mm during either the December or January months while the highest mean monthly rainfall is 76mm/month over the August month. Mean annual temperature for the project region is 16.8°C, with the hottest months being February, with monthly maximum temperatures being 28.4°C, and monthly minimum of 6.6°C during July (the coldest month of the year)(CapeFarmMapper 2015). The project region is primarily underlain by Shale of the Bokkeveld Group, as well as Tertiary silcrete. Soils are generally of the Glenrosa and/or Mispah forms (other soils may occur), lime rare or absent in upland soils but generally present in low-lying soils, with land form code of Fb109 (CapeFarmMapper 2015). The topography of the project region ranges from 180m above sea-level to 1500m above sea-level, as indicated in Figure 4.2-4. Generally, however, the topography of the area that the N2 crosses is fairly mild and undulating, ranging between roughly 583m above sea-level and 200m above sea- level. The greatest elevation changes in the project region can be found along the southern foot slopes of the Swartberg, where the elevation can range from 360-280m above sea level (Figure 4.3, 4.4). According to SANBI (Mucina and Rutherford, 2006) the vegetation types found in the area include Western Rûens Shale Renosterveld (Critically Endangered), Greyton Shale Fynbos (Vulnerable), Overberg Sandstone Fynbos (Least Threatened) and Central Rûens Shale Renosterveld (Critically endangered), all of the Fynbos biome. The largest portions of the project fall under the Western Rûens Shale Renosterveld and Central Rûens Shale Renosterveld respectively. These two vegetation types are found in the less-steep, ‘middle’ section of the study area (i.e. the region outside the two towns, flanked on both sides by agricultural activities). Both these vegetation types are considered critically endangered. The less endangered vegetation types within the project region, in contrast, represent the smallest project footprint, and are largely confined to the urban centres of the project region (i.e. in and near the towns of Caledon and Riviersonderend). EOH Coastal and Environmental Services iii Jeffares & Green Pty Ltd ECOLOGICAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT September 2016 The project area falls within both ESA and CBA regions, scattered along the road. All wetlands, drainage lines and wetlands were classified as CBA’s, as well as the Caledon Local Nature Reserve in the Swartberg. CBA regions coincide with the occurrence of rivers and wetlands. All regions covered by CBA and ESA’s, protected areas, wetlands, rivers and drainage lines thus enjoy protection under the NWA, or the Western Cape Biodiversity Framework (WCBF), and should be managed as such. Only one protected area, namely the Caledon Local Nature Reserve, exists within the study area. Negotiations between the parks authority and SANRAL will thus be required to navigate the land use conflicts that may potentially arise. From an ecological viewpoint, the high level of invasive