River

why is it the most polluted river in the KNP?

Fouche, Paul1 and Vlok, Wynand2 1) University of Venda, 2) BioAssets [email protected] [email protected] Introduction

• A three-year project • Focussed on the Shingwedzi River system • Included the following rivers: • Shingwedzi River • Mphongolo River • Phugwane River • Shisha River • Dzombo River Tshamidzi River Shisha River

1

7 2 3 4 5 Mphongolo River

6 9 Mandzoro River N

10 11 12 13 Phugwane River 14 8

15 KNP border fence

16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Shingwedzi River 26 Shingwedzi rest camp

Dzombo River KNP border fence Sites

• 26 in total as indicated • 12 outside and 14 inside the KNP • Sites 1, 9, 10 and 17 as base values for the system. • Shisha and Dzombo rivers as “least impacted” – originate almost exclusively within the KNP Tshamidzi River Shisha River

1

7 2 3 4 5 Mphongolo River

6 9 Mandzoro River N

10 11 12 13 Phugwane River 14 8

15 KNP border fence

16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Shingwedzi River 26 Shingwedzi rest camp

Dzombo River KNP border fence Results

• Only selected sites will be discussed to highlight some problems. • We will look at the following components: • Selected WQ parameters • Macro-invertebrates Water quality

• Conductivity, TDS, DO and pH. • Will highlight some interesting sites. • Relate WQ to the presence or absence of the macro-invertebrates. Conductivity - summer

2000 1500 -1 1000 Scm Scm

μ 500 0

i i k ni k ni s e il r a o dzi a el . b he bye east D Za idge goni re ir pla lahala r Altein b ockscamp om d Ivory lhave Gelu e b Jilongo R i z e t S amul han ire d useway shamiR N ot l Ha ni S f e a D T Makulekeo lakt a ahalaMasho Dam /Phug.. ni edz V M l o dle firebreakR w Gr Giya d ne c Ha Lari ng e Phugwane ngol Mi hi o S Dip Shisha/Mphongolo ph M

Conductivity - winter

3000 2500

-1 2000 1500

Scm 1000 μ 500 0

i y ili n ini p dz eni luk D ei r ks bo vor eke e East Zari idge t ulele longoAl La oc cam ipene a Dam Ji ebreak D zom akul am ashobye r D Red I Ntlhav al Halahala Shangoni Tshami M root G ahal M yani br ed Redzi G M i R Hal hugwane G iddle fi ngw P M hi S Mphongolo/Phug... Total dissolved solids - summer

2000

1500

-1 1000

mgl mgl 500 0

i k lo m e t ili e o s o ry ke ni u o ele la s ne g k y le e l a by D a dg n c a vo v el rheni laas g u Da ea Zari i mb ku a G p n m lah br ilo Altein d I a t Si la sho ugw i J shamidz o Ha ane h Shangoni Dzo T Re M Ntlh ro lakte Ma w an V Mala g /P Red Ro G u lo Giy e causew Halaha h go LariniMiddle firebreak firebreak P n ipen Shisha/Mpho o ShingwedziD camp Mph

Total dissolved solids - winter

2000

1500 -1 1000 mg l mg 500

s 0 ak k e e ge ombo i ni e m Dili n d Larini bre Dipenez z e ast Zari Altein D id ala bye E ire d Roc Ivory av Geluk Jilo ngo f e dzi camp m kuleklh t lamulellah e Shangoni e d a o a la Dasho ani bri R Nt o a an dle Re M M Ha ha /Phugwaiy d ngw Tsha Gr la M lo G i a Mi h H S Phugw

Mphongo pH and DO

• TPC for pH for the Shingwedzi set at 6.5- 8.5. • During the winter outside TPC below Giyani – 9.09 8.88. • During the summer, only 1 site in the Phugwane outside TPC – 9.13 at Zari inside the KNP. • DO – no TPC set (80-120%) • Of the 26 sites (summer), 14 below 80% (32.6% and 78.6%). • During winter, ranged between 25 and 178%. Sources? • The Mphongolo River • Irrigation – commercial farm with 20 centre pivots • Sewerage • Solid waste • Large impoundment • Land use/cattle Sources?

• The Phugwane River •Old mine • Sewerage • Solid waste • Land use Sources?

• The Shingwedzi River • Sewerage • Solid waste • Abstraction • Land use and cattle Sources?

• The Shisha River • The Dzombo River • From outside the KNP • Limited from inside – roads and runoff • Geological and erosion Macro-invertebrates

• Will include summary of summer and winter surveys •Sites • 7 Vlakteplaas (Shisha), • 9 , • 10 Halahala, • 11 Halahala and • 16 Mphongolo/Phugwane confluence are excluded. SASS scores (summer) and available biotopes

Mphongolo Phugwane Shingwedzi Dzombo

100 81 73 75 GSM 80 69 68 65 69 56 54 57 60 50 47 44 47 48 37 31 40 26 27 Veg, GSM 18 20

0 S, Veg, GSM i i i i i ry e k ni e n ks lu Dil ani go ein oni i idz vo e he Zar y t g ene I r on Al Lar p am d t G Gi Jil Roc Di e Si Dzombo Makulek Ntlhaveni Shan Tsh R roo Mashobywane East Red Shingwedz G ug Ph Shisha/Mphongolo SASS scores (winter) and available biotopes

Mphongolo River Phugwane River Shingwedzi River

80 72 GSM

60 54 42 41 S, Veg 40 29 25 26 28 17 18 20 14 S

0 i i i n n ke luk ye Dili in in ire le ve e b Zari e go r F u a o lt n La e k A a l a tlh t G sh ne East h M N o a a S ro M Midd G Phugw Discussion

• River classified as “intermittent seasonal” (Rossouw et al. 2005) • Mostly anthropogenic impacts – Land use, mines, sewerage, solid waste, riparian zone removal, cattle, abstraction, commercial farm • Increased erosion • Some improvement downstream • Lower flow contributing

Acknowledgements

• The Research Section of the • Dr Freek Venter • Me Thembi Khoza • Dr Thomas Gyedu-Ababio • Manager: Water Resources - KNP • The Section Rangers of Punda and Shingwedzi • Mr Thomas Mbokota • Me Agnes Mukondeleli • The Game Guards • The helicopter pilots of the KNP