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Berg River Baseline Monitoring Programme BERG RIVER BASELINE MONITORING PROGRAMME FINAL REPORT - VOLUME 5: Synthesis DWAF Report No. P WMA 19/G10/00/2107 Edited by: BARRY CLARK and GEORDIE RACTLIFFE October 2007 The Freshwater Consulting Group E N V I R O N M E N T A L BERG RIVER BASELINE MONITORING PROGRAMME FINAL REPORT - VOLUME 5: Synthesis DWAF Report No. P WMA 19/G10/00/2107 Edited by: BARRY CLARK AND GEORDIE RACTLIFFE October 2007 The Freshwater Consulting Group E N V I R O N M E N T A L Department of Zoology University of Cape Town Rondebosch 7701 University of Cape Town, South Africa PO Box 34035, Rhodes Gift 7707 Cell: 082 463 0222 www.uct.ac.za/depts/zoology/anchor Tel: +27 (21) 650 4767 Tel/Fax +27 21 685 3400 Fax: +27 (21) 650 3301 [email protected] Email: [email protected] Berg River Baseline Monitoring Programme Final Report: Volume5, September 2007 Index TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 BACKGROUND ...........................................................................................................2 1.2 OVERVIEW OF THE BERG RIVER CATCHMENT, HYDROLOGY AND GROUNDWATER ASSESSMENT ...............................................................................2 1.3 DESCRIPTION OF THE ABIOTIC AND BIOTIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BERG RIVER..........................................................................................................................2 1.4 ESTUARINE ASSESSMENT .......................................................................................2 1.5 SOCIAL AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES ASSESSMENT......................................3 1.6 CONTENT OF THIS REPORT VOLUME .....................................................................3 CHAPTER 2 – RIVERINE ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONING 4 2.1 INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................5 2.1.1 Aims of this report..........................................................................................5 2.2 CATCHMENT CHARACTERISTICS ............................................................................5 2.3 GROUNDWATER ........................................................................................................6 2.4 HYDROLOGY ..............................................................................................................8 2.4.1 Flow variability ...............................................................................................9 2.4.2 The importance of the upper river to flows in the downstream reaches........13 2.5 MAJOR ABIOTIC AND BIOTIC PATTERNS IN THE BERG RIVER AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO FLOW........................................................................................17 2.5.1 Longitudinal gradients in the Berg River.......................................................17 2.5.2 Channel characteristics and the influence of flow.........................................25 2.5.3 Water quality in the Berg River and the influence of flow..............................27 2.5.4 Riparian vegetation in the Berg River and the influence of flow....................34 2.5.5 Periphyton in the Berg River and the influence of flow .................................35 2.5.6 Macro Invertebrates in the Berg River and the influence of flow...................36 2.5.7 Fish in the Berg River and the influence of flow ...........................................39 2.6 HABITAT INTEGRITY AND PRESENT ECOLOGICAL STATE OF THE BERG RIVER41 2.7 IMPLICATIONS OF THE BERG RIVER DAM FOR ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONING ...45 2.6.1 Upper Foothill reach.....................................................................................46 2.6.2 Lowland river ...............................................................................................47 2.8 IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH AND MONITORING ............................................49 2.9 REFERENCES...........................................................................................................49 Anchor Environmental Consultants & Freshwater Consulting Group i Berg River Baseline Monitoring Programme Final Report: Volume5, September 2007 Index CHAPTER 3 – ESTUARY CONCEPTUAL MODEL 51 3.1 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................52 3.1.1 Background .................................................................................................52 3.1.2 Aims of the study .........................................................................................53 3.1.3 Approach .....................................................................................................53 3.1.4 Structure of the report..................................................................................53 3.2 WHAT IS A CONCEPTUAL MODEL? ........................................................................53 3.3 THE BERG RIVER CATCHMENT AND ESTUARY....................................................55 3.3.1 The Catchment ............................................................................................55 3.3.2 Location, shape and extent of the estuary....................................................55 3.4 PATTERNS OF FLOW INTO THE ESTUARY............................................................56 3.5 THE INFLUENCE OF FLOW ON PHYSICO-CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS.........58 3.5.1 Water levels.................................................................................................58 3.5.2 Influence on sediments and bathymetry.......................................................60 3.5.3 Influence of flow on turbidity.........................................................................61 3.5.4 Influence of flow on estuary water quality and nutrients ...............................61 3.6 BIOTIC COMMUNITIES AND FLOW-RELATED DETERMINANTS OF THEIR STRUCTURE AND PRODUCTIVITY .........................................................................65 3.6.1 Micro algae ..................................................................................................65 3.6.2 Macrophytes ................................................................................................66 3.6.3 Invertebrates................................................................................................68 3.6.4 Fish..............................................................................................................70 3.6.5 Birds ............................................................................................................72 3.7 A CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF THE ROLE OF FLOW IN DETERMINING ECOSYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS .................................................................................................73 3.7.1 The influence of flow on productivity, biomass and diversity ........................73 3.7.2 Influence of non-flow related biotic interactions............................................75 3.7.3 Influence of external factors on biotic communities ......................................75 3.8 IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH AND MONITORING ............................................77 3.9 REFERENCES...........................................................................................................78 CHAPTER 4 – RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE STUDY AND MONITORING REQUIREMENTS 4.1 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................82 4.2 CHANGES IN HYDROLOGY AND SEDIMENT TRANSPORT RESULTING FROM THE BERG RIVER DAM ....................................................................................................82 4.3 RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THE REFINEMENT OF THE IFR FOR THE BERG RIVER........................................................................................................................84 4.4 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REFINEMENT OF HYDROLOGICAL DATA AND MONITORING............................................................................................................85 Anchor Environmental Consultants & Freshwater Consulting Group ii Berg River Baseline Monitoring Programme Final Report: Volume5, September 2007 Index 4.5 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR GROUNDWATER MONITORING ................................85 4.6 CONSOLIDATED MONITORING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE RIVER SYSTEM86 4.6.1 Hydrodynamics and sediment transport.......................................................86 4.6.2 Water chemistry...........................................................................................88 4.6.3 Riparian vegetation......................................................................................89 4.6.4 Periphyton ...................................................................................................89 4.6.5 Invertebrates................................................................................................90 4.6.6 Fish..............................................................................................................92 4.7 CONSOLIDATED MONITORING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE BERG RIVER ESTUARY..................................................................................................................93 4.7.1 General monitoring recommendations .........................................................93 4.7.2 Hydrodynamics and sediment transport.......................................................93 4.7.3 Water chemistry...........................................................................................94 4.7.4 Microalgae ...................................................................................................95
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