C.A.P.E. ESTUARIES PROGRAMME

DRAFT SITUATION ASSESSMENT REPORT

13 DECEMBER 2007

Development of an Estuarine Management Plan for the
KLEIN RIVER OVERBERG REGION, WESTERN CAPE

DRAFT SITUATION ASSESSMENT REPORT

Development of an Estuarine Management Plan for the Klein River, Overberg Region, Western Cape 13 December 2007

PROJECT TEAM

CapeNature: Pierre de Villiers iRAP: Jenny Whitehead Errol Cerff Kathy Leslie Grant Benn Marlene Laros ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The development of the Estuarine Management Plan for the Klein River is funded by CapeNature as a component of the C.A.P.E. Estuaries Programme. The iRAP team gratefully acknowledges the contributions of all those who contributed to the compilation of this report, including: All of the people who attended the public meeting in Hermanus on 13 November 2007 and those who followed up with further information Councillor Mike Walters, Leon Steyn, Petronella Ferreira, Riaan Kuchar of Overstrand Municipality Wilna Kloppers and John Roberts of DWAF Bea Whittaker of the Klein River Catchment Committee Dr Alan Boyd, Ayanda Matoti and Shaun Schneier of Marine and Coastal Management (DEAT) Lara van Niekerk and Susan Taljaard of the CSIR Don Kirkwood and Terence Coller of CapeNature Wollie Alheit and Hennis Germishuys of Department of Agriculture

Jennifer Whitehead BArch(UND) Arch(SA) MM&CM(UKZN)

CONTACT DETAILS: Jenny Whitehead Kathy Leslie cell: 083-661-6621 tel: 021 6719350 e-mail: [email protected] cell: 083 325 5615 fax: 086-685-8482 e-mail: [email protected] postal: Postnet suite 5, Private bag X7, Muizenberg 7950 fax: 088 021 671 9350

CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION...... 1 1.1 Structure of the report...... 1 1.2 Strategic approach to the assessment ...... 2 1.3 Location of the study area ...... 3 2 FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS ...... 6 2.1 Sustainable development ...... 6 2.2 Integrated development planning ...... 7 2.3 Systematic conservation planning...... 8 2.4 Co-operative governance and co-management...... 9 2.5 Monitoring and adaptive management ...... 11 2.6 Concluding notes...... 11 3 POLICY AND PLANNING ENVIRONMENT ...... 12 3.1 Integrated environmental management...... 12 3.2 Coastal and marine resources management ...... 13 3.3 Catchment management ...... 15 3.4 Biodiversity conservation...... 16 3.5 Estuaries classification and prioritisation...... 17 3.6 LandCare ...... 19 3.7 Municipality-wide spatial planning and land use management ...... 20 3.8 Governance systems, institutional capacities and mandates...... 22 3.9 Concluding notes...... 24 4 PLANNING INSTRUMENTS...... 25 4.1 Overberg District Municipality IDP and SDF ...... 25 4.2 Overstrand Local Municipality IDP and SDF ...... 26 4.3 C.A.P.E. Bioregional Programme...... 30 4.4 Overberg fine-scale biodiversity planning ...... 31 4.5 Agulhas Biodiversity Initiative ...... 31 4.6 Breede River Water Management Strategy ...... 33 4.7 Kleinriviersvlei and Klein River Structure Plan ...... 33 4.8 Zoning schemes ...... 34 4.9 Concluding notes...... 37 5 CATCHMENT HYDROLOGY AND RIVER HEALTH...... 38 5.1 Hydrology...... 41 5.2 Geology and soils ...... 42 5.3 Water quality and quantity...... 42 5.4 Limitations and gaps in data...... 44 5.5 Areas needing priority attention...... 45 6 CHARACTERISATION OF ESTUARINE SYSTEMS...... 46 6.1 Sediment transportation ...... 46 6.2 Salinity ...... 47 6.3 Bathymetry...... 47 6.4 Mouth management interventions ...... 47 6.5 Water quality...... 48 6.6 Habitats...... 48 6.7 Estuarine Health ...... 52

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE i 6.8 Limitations and gaps in the data...... 58 6.9 Areas needing priority attention...... 58 7 CATCHMENT-WIDE TERRESTRIAL CONSERVATION ASSESSMENT ...... 59 7.1 Land capability and extent of cultivation...... 59 7.2 Historic vegetation distribution and ecosystem status ...... 61 7.3 Extent of transformation of habitats...... 62 7.4 Level of protection within the Klein River Sub catchments ...... 64 7.5 Determination of a terrestrial margin in which to focus EMP conservation and management interventions ...... 65 7.6 Limitations and gaps in data...... 67 7.7 Areas needing priority attention...... 67 8 LAND USE AND INFRASTRUCTURE...... 68 8.1 Current land use and recreational activity ...... 69 8.2 Basic services infrastructure...... 72 8.3 Plans for future development...... 75 8.4 Limitations and gaps in data...... 77 8.5 Areas needing priority attention...... 78 9 SOCIAL SYSTEMS ...... 79 9.1 Demography ...... 79 9.2 Broader interest groups and stakeholders (regional, national, global)...... 80 9.3 Subsistence users ...... 81 9.4 Recreational users...... 81 9.5 Commercial users...... 82 9.6 Cultural users and undeclared heritage sites ...... 82 9.7 Unauthorised / illegal uses ...... 83 9.8 Riparian access rights, land claims, other prescriptive claims ...... 84 9.9 Interest groups focused around local estuarine issues ...... 84 9.10 Articulation of issues and a vision for the EMP ...... 84 9.11 Limitations and gaps in data...... 85 9.12 Areas needing priority attention...... 85 10 EXTRACTIVE RESOURCE USE, GOODS AND SERVICES ...... 86 10.1 Value of goods and services ...... 87 10.2 Limitations and gaps in the data...... 88 10.3 Areas needing priority attention...... 88 11 LANDSCAPE VALUE...... 89 12 DATA ASSESSMENT ...... 92 13 INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT...... 98 13.1 Conservation...... 98 13.2 Social and cultural issues ...... 102 13.3 Land use and infrastructure...... 104 13.4 Water quantity and quality...... 106 13.5 Exploitation of living resources...... 107 14 CONCLUSION ...... 109 15 RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 110 REFERENCES ...... 111

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE ii

APPENDIX 1 – DATA SHEETS ...... 115

1. P.R.O.T.E.A. alien clearing programme...... 116 2. Biodiversity conservation – policy and legal framework ...... 117 3. Coastal Zone Policy for the Western Cape...... 119 4. Constitution of South Africa ...... 120 5. Proposed re-development of De Mond Caravan Park...... 121 6. Developments under consideration ...... 122 7. EIA Regulations established in terms of NEMA...... 123 8. Estuaries conservation plan...... 126 9. Estuarine Management guidelines...... 127 10. “Estuary” - definition ...... 128 11. Integrated Coastal Management Bill (2007) ...... 129 12. Competencies and mandates relating to coastal management...... 132 13. Structure Plan for the Kleinriviersvlei and Klein River Area (1993) ...... 133 14. Zoning scheme regulations...... 136 15. Landscape as heritage...... 138 16. Local government structures and capacity ...... 139 17. Marine Protected Areas ...... 141 18. Overberg District Municipality IDP ...... 142 19. Overberg District Municipality SDF ...... 144 20. Overstrand IDP 2007/08 ...... 151 21. Overstrand Municipality SDF ...... 154 22. Municipal policy for agricultural land resources ...... 157 23. Municipal Growth Management Strategies...... 158 24. Municipal policy on land use management in the proposed Rural Development Area ...... 160 25. Municipal sewerage disposal services...... 162 26. Municipal water supply services ...... 163 27. Municipal solid waste management services...... 164 28. Water Services Development Plan (WSDP)...... 165 29. Overstrand MARINES...... 166 30. Proclamation 357 issued in terms of the Nature Conservation Ordinance...... 167 31. Potential vehicles for protection of estuarine environments ...... 168 32. Public Participation...... 171 33. Recreational carrying capacity...... 172 34. Ecological Reserve Determination...... 175 35. Strategic adaptive management ...... 181 36. Water User Registration (WARMS) ...... 184

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE iii LIST OF TABLES

Table 1 Mandates applicable to the study area...... 22 Table 2 The C.A.P.E. Programme components ...... 30 Table 3 Vegetation to be conserved through the ABI...... 32 Table 4 Typical non-urban land use zones (source: PN 1048, 1988) ...... 35 Table 5 The contribution of estuarine habitats in the Klein to national conservation targets ...... 51 Table 6 Review of data required and available for a reserve determination for the Klein River Estuary (adapted from DWAF, 2004) ...... 54 Table 7 Catchment land capability and cultivation ...... 59 Table 8 Catchment ecosystem status and vegetation distribution ...... 61 Table 9 Summary of area of vegetation types assignment of ecosystem status per catchment area ...... 62 Table 10 Analysis of broad land cover per sub catchment...... 63 Table 11 Distribution of only natural areas (as defined by broad land cover described by Kirkwood) of each vegetation type...... 63 Table 12 Extent of the Klein River catchments under protection ...... 64 Table 13 Assessment of opportunities i.r.o. basic services infrastructure...... 73 Table 14 Assessment of threats i.r.o. basic services infrastructure ...... 74 Table 15 Developments under consideration ...... 77 Table 16 Demographic data for Overstrand area (source: Overstrand IDP 2007)...... 79 Table 17 Importance rating of estuarine ecosystem goods, services and attributes (source: Turpie and Clark, 2007) ...... 86 Table 18 General data relating to the Klein River estuary...... 93 Table 19 Evaluation of strategy options relative to the Estuarine Forum’s draft objectives for the Klein River EMP...... 109

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 Location of the Klein River Estuary ...... 4 Figure 2 Topo-cadastral information on the estuarine environment...... 5 Figure 3 Intensive agricultural resource areas in the vicinity of the study area (Source: Overstrand SDF).. 27 Figure 4 Proposed Rural Development Area (RDA) : Klein River, Stanford / Wortelgat area (Source: Overstrand SDF)...... 28 Figure 5 Spatial Planning Categories in the study area (Source: Overstrand SDF) ...... 29 Figure 6 Existing estuarine use zones on the Klein River (Base map supplied by Overstrand Municipality) ...... 37 Figure 7 Breede Water Management Area...... 38 Figure 8 Quaternary Catchments which feed the Klein River estuary...... 39 Figure 9 Extent of Agriculture in the Catchment of the Klein River ...... 40 Figure 10 Estuarine habitats (compiled using data from Bornman, 2007 and Turpie and Clark, 2007) ...... 49 Figure 11 Vegetation types and special habitats within the Klein River Catchment ...... 60 Figure 12 Terrestrial margin and biodiversity informants ...... 66 Figure 13 Estuarine recreational use zones and related infrastructure...... 71 Figure 14 Waste disposal sites in the Klein River catchment...... 72 Figure 15 Developments under consideration...... 76 Figure 16 Landscape with overlaid heritage considerations ...... 90 Figure 17 Viewsheds generated from the route of the R43 road ...... 91

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE iv ACRONYMS

ABI Agulhas Biodiversity Initiative C.A.P.E. Cape Action for People and the Environment CMS Catchment Management Strategies DEA&DP Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (Western Cape) DEAT Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (national) DPLG Department of Provincial and Local Government (national) ECA Environment Conservation Act, Act No.73 of 1989 EIA Environmental Impact Assessment IDP Integrated Development Plan IEM Integrated Environmental Management ISP Internal Strategic Perspective MCM Marine and Coastal Management MLRA Marine Living Resources Act, Act No.18 of 1998 NBSAP National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (2005) NEM National Environmental Management NEMA National Environmental Management Act (1998) NFSD National Framework for Sustainable Development (2006) NWA National Water Act No.36 of 1998 NWRS National Water Resources Strategy NEMA National Environmental Management Act, Act No.107 of 1998 ODM Overberg District Municipality RDA Rural Development Area RQO Resource Quality Objectives SCP Systematic Conservation Planning SDF Spatial Development Framework SPC Spatial Planning Category WMA Water Management Area

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE v 1 INTRODUCTION

The development of an Estuarine Management Plan (EMP) for the Klein River estuary is one of six pilots commissioned by the C.A.P.E. Estuaries Programme through the Western Cape Nature Conservation Board (CapeNature). It coincides with the development of a national Estuarine Management Protocol which will provide a framework for the preparation of Estuarine Management Plans for all estuaries in South Africa.

As one of the six teams preparing pilot EMPs, we have endeavoured to make the material informative and accessible to the stakeholder community. It has resulted in added bulk and some of the material may be superfluous for reviewers who are versed in the subject material. We hope that this will not deter readers and we refer them to the invitation extended in Section 15 – Recommendations – for reviewers to assist us in correcting any errors and furnishing any missing information in this Draft Report.

In the spirit of Integrated Coastal Management, we are seeking to support a co-operative approach to the management of the Klein River estuary such as that described in the preamble of the National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Bill (2007):
“the conservation and sustainable use of the coastal zone requires the establishment of an innovative legal and institutional framework that clearly defines the status of coastal land and waters and the respective roles of the public, the state and other users of the coastal zone and that facilitates a new co-operative and participatory approach to managing the coast”

The Klein River Estuarine Forum was launched at a public meeting in Hermanus on the 13 th November 2007. At this meeting the Forum delivered the following instruction to guide the Technical Working Group in the development of the EMP:

The Klein River Estuarine Management Plan will…
ensure the integrity of the estuarine ecosystem and its natural environs;
promote the optimal long-term utilisation of the estuary in a sustainable way;
address all impacts on the built environment and natural, cultural, social and economic systems;
be integrated with the Klein Rural Development Framework as provided for in the Overstrand SDF.

This report concludes with an assessment of the Team’s recommendations, based on the assessment of available information, in relation to the Forum’s draft objectives.

1.1 Structure of the report

The report is accompanied by an Appendix of 34 data sheets. These contain much of the background material that underpins the assessment. It functions both as a tool for the researchers in preparing the assessment and also as a useful resource for the Technical Working Group and Estuarine Forum in the roll-out of the EMP.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 1 The main report commences with 3 sections that address the contextual framework in which the Klein River EMP is located:
Section 2 presents an overview of the fundamental concepts and principles which underpin planning exercises in South Africa;
Section 3 provides an introduction to the main aspects of the policy and planning environment which guide and inform the preparation of the EMP;
Section 4 – Planning instruments – describes mainly local scale frameworks which the EMP needs to interact with in order to achieve integration and ensure that alignment is addressed, whether it means that the EMP aligns with an existing plan, or in the review process that plan is revised to align with provisions introduced by the EMP.

The following six sections each contain an assessment of a particular aspect of the environment or activities that are relevant to the preparation of an EMP. Their order reflects the concept of nested systems that is used to describe the National Framework for Sustainable Development approach to the environment (page 6): » Section 5 – Catchment hydrology and river health » Section 6 – Characterisation of estuarine systems » Section 7 – Catchment-wide terrestrial conservation assessment » Section 8 – Land use and infrastructure » Section 9 – Social systems » Section 10 – Extractive resource use, goods and services.

Section 11 provides an assessment of the data that was identified and / or located, for the purpose of building a database for future reference.

Section 12 is an integrated assessment of the findings in relation to the mechanisms that are available for addressing the situation and concludes, in Section 13, with a draft set of strategy options for consideration. The Recommendations thereafter establish the conditions for proceeding with preparation of the draft EMP.

1.2 Strategic approach to the assessment

The assessment that is recorded in this report is strategic by necessity, due to constraints of both time and data availability. This is consistent with a strategic planning approach – whereby effort is focused on key issues that need to be addressed during the first phase of the EMP implementation cycle. The assessment is therefore one of priority issues and does not aim to be comprehensive. It aims to underpin a plan for adaptive management that incorporates a monitoring programme, periodic evaluation and review of priority focus areas.

The EMP is neither a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) nor a state of the estuary report. ‘EMP’ should not be confused with the same acronym that refers to an Environmental Management Plan which is used at national level and in projects as an environmental management tool.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 2 1.3 Location of the study area

The Klein River is located in the Overberg District (Figure 1) of the Western Cape Province of South Africa, beginning in the Theewaterskloof administrative area and reaching the coast of the Atlantic Ocean just to the south of the coastal town of Hermanus. The estuary and coastal quaternary sub- catchment G40L is situated entirely within Overstrand Municipality.

The study area itself has not been defined in terms of boundaries. It is considered appropriate that the assessment should be used to guide a decision on the boundaries that will be employed in order to define the scope of influence of the EMP, and that this is dependent on options that have yet to be exercised by the stakeholder group.

Various ‘windows’ were used for the assessments, ranging from the extent of estuarine habitats to a catchment-wide analysis of hydrology and terrestrial ecosystem status. These are evident in the assessments.

It is not possible with the limited data available at present to provide a spatial definition for the estuary that matches the legal definitions (Data Sheet No.10). There is anecdotal information that salinity has been measured at the R43 bridge at Stanford but until scientifically verified sampling has been done, the spatial definition of the Klein River estuary cannot be defended on legal grounds.

Figure 2 provides a close-up view of the estuarine environment. The 1km margin is projected from the edge of estuarine habitats and using the R43 bridge at Stanford as an upstream delimiter. It provides an indication of the non-urban properties that may be affected by the Coastal Protection Zone (Data Sheet No.11) and represents the area that was used for the purpose of assessing the application of estuarine biodiversity conservation targets.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 3 Figure 1 Location of the Klein River Estuary

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 4 Figure 2 Topo-cadastral information on the estuarine environment

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 5 2 FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS

This section describes the principles and concepts that underpin the development of the EMP: » Sustainable development » Integrated development planning » Systematic conservation planning » Co-operative governance and co-management » Monitoring and adaptive management.

All of these, in turn, are underpinned by the principle of a participatory approach to planning. Public participation is a The ‘3 intersecting fundamental constitutional right in South Africa and is entrenched circles’ representation in a number of sections of the Constitution. It is given further expression in the National Environmental Management Act (1998) of sustainable and the Municipal Systems Act (2000) and other legislation. development has Further information is provided in Data Sheet No.32. been superceded by The ICM Bill requires that a public participation process must be the ‘nested systems’ followed in the drafting of Estuarine Management Plans. This engagement with interested and affected parties allows the representation, involvement of all parties who may have an interest in the illustrated here, development of the EMP or be affected by it, now or in the future. which more 2.1 Sustainable development accurately portrays the dependence of The National Environmental Management Act (NEMA, 1998) establishes the requirement that development must be the economy on socially, environmentally and economically sustainable. socio-political Amongst other things, this involves avoiding or minimising – disturbance to ecosystems, loss of biodiversity, disturbance of systems and the cultural heritage sites and landscapes. The use of renewable dependence of those, natural resources should not jeopardise their ability to renew themselves. We must acknowledge the limits of our in turn, on the knowledge, practice risk aversion and adhere to the environment. These precautionary principle. Specific attention is required in management and planning in certain environments, including are integrated via the estuaries. NEMA establishes Integrated Environmental governance system Management as the mechanism for upholding these principles (described in Section 3.1). that holds all the other systems The National Framework for Sustainable Development (DEAT, 2006) establishes the grounds for sustainable development on together the basis of trends, identifies priority areas for strategic interventions and outlines a plan for implementation.

The Framework seeks to promote a concept of economic growth that supports poverty eradication and a decent quality of life for all through, inter alia, decreased levels of consumption and systems that are more resource efficient and less wasteful. It proposes that we pursue growth that respects the limits of our eco-systems by making sure that growth strategies are not dependent on intensive or inefficient use of resources.

Strategies include the enhancement of systems for integrated planning and implementation, sustaining our ecosystems and using resources sustainably. The significance of indicators, as used in State of Environment Reporting, is highlighted. The outcomes of the Framework are articulated by the phrase,

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 6 “We will be making progress if the following is taking place” including, inter alia:

» cities and towns have stopped encroaching on high value agricultural land » the gradual degradation of natural habitats will have begun to reverse itself to the point where they can regain the capacity to support genetically viable populations of all species of indigenous living organisms in South Africa » the governance system is capable of monitoring the use of natural resources and human impacts to ensure that ecological limits are not exceeded to the detriment of the web of life and human survival in particular. It is the intention that the Framework, once fully developed, will be used by all social partners and organs of state, including the Province and Municipalities.

2.2 Integrated development planning

The South African government has adopted integrated development planning as the process to be followed by municipalities to implement their developmental mandate. The term “integrated” refers in this context to a number of types of integration: » spatial integration – for example, the integration of urban and rural areas into a single unit for planning purposes » social integration – involving all stakeholders in the planning process » sectoral integration – across sectors in order to optimise on the potential linkages, and » integration across the various tier of government, aiming for a co-ordinated effort of national, provincial and local government strategies.

The integrated development planning process provides the opportunity for integrating a sector plan, such as an Estuarine Management Plan, with other planning instruments within that The EMP can administrative area, thereby strengthening the collective effort potentially become an and potential effectiveness of all plans for that area. IDP includes a spatial component which is implemented through a integral component of municipality’s Spatial Development Framework. The the Overstrand SDF Estuarine Management Plan can potentially become an integral component of an SDF and thereby feed into the IDP and IDP without compromising its links to other initiatives such as Bioregional Programmes and Coastal Management Programmes, because all of these need to be aligned in their effort. IDP thus supports a ‘web’ of linked plans.

A guideline document for the IDP process is available, in the form of the IDP Guide Pack (DPLG, 2001). A Toolkit to support the integration of sustainability in IDP processes in the Western Cape (EEU, 2004) is currently being updated. An Estuarine Management Plan is, in effect, a mini IDP pertaining to a smaller area. The stages of preparing an Estuarine Management Plan mimic those of an IDP and so both of the aforementioned documents are useful resources for the preparation of an Estuarine Management Plan and its implementation. Furthermore, the EMP can draw much of its information from both the District and Local Municipality IDPs and SDFs during the Analysis stage. Likewise, the findings and recommendations provided by the more detailed level of ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 7 planning that takes place within an EMP can guide and inform decisions associated with the SDF and IDP. The vision and goals developed through the participatory planning processes of the IDP and EMP should ensure that there is alignment in this aspect of the plans.

Besides guiding planning and decision-making, the IDP also involves setting budgets.

On a practical level, there are a number of ways in which an EMP and IDP can be integrated:
During preparation of the EMP, the IDP document should be reviewed in order to identify objectives and strategies that could be given expression through EMP projects and thereby support the inclusion of such EMP projects in the following IDP planning cycle;
the IDP document should be reviewed in order to identify existing projects already listed in the IDP that have similar objectives and/or are spatially connected to the EMP;
EMP projects can only be funded by the Municipality if they are identified as projects in the IDP;
The EMP could also be used to leverage funding for Municipal projects from other sources;
The EMP can potentially be represented as a finer-scale planning component of the SDF.

2.3 Systematic conservation planning

Biodiversity, or biological diversity, refers to “the variability among living organisms from all sources including, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part and also includes diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems” (Biodiversity Act, 2004).

Systematic conservation planning represents the best available science for identifying spatial biodiversity priority areas and is implemented at the national biome, provincial, and local scales in South Africa. It is a rigorous, data-driven approach for assessing the location, status and importance of a range of biodiversity features.

In locating these spatial priority areas, systematic conservation planning aims to conserve:
a representative sample of all ecosystems and species (the principle of representivity), (Austin and Margules, 1986); and
the ecological and evolutionary processes that are critical for the long term persistence of ecosystems (the principle of persistence) (Soulé, 1987; Cowling and Pressey, 2001).

Further, a key characteristic of systematic conservation planning is the setting of explicit quantitative targets that determine how much of each biodiversity feature (and where practical, ecological processes) needs to be conserved to maintain functioning ecosystems.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 8 Conservation planning involves the following steps (Pressey & Cowling, 2001 adapted in Turpie and Clark, 2007):

1. Define the planning domain or the region within which the conservation sites will be chosen.

2. Define the planning units for the sites that may be selected for conservation. In many cases these are defined as grid squares, hexagons or cadastral units (properties).

3. Set targets based on conservation goals for the region which are quantitative conservation targets for the identified biodiversity features (e.g. species, vegetation communities and ecosystem types), and quantitative targets for minimum size, connectivity or other design criteria.

4. Undertake a gap analysis reviewing existing conservation areas and assessing the extent to which quantitative targets have already been achieved.

5. Select new sites by using algorithms to meet targets for identified biodiversity features for consideration by conservation agencies.

Under the C.A.P.E. Regional Estuarine Management Programme, Turpie and Clark (2007) have developed a conservation plan for temperate South African estuaries. The analysis used a systematic conservation planning methodology to ensure the representation of different types of estuaries and estuarine biodiversity, and the long-term maintenance of species, communities and ecological processes. This study also integrates ecosystem health and economic costs and benefits. In so doing, it has designed a conservation plan that meets biodiversity targets at minimal economic cost and prioritises estuaries in need of rehabilitation.

Section 3.5 presents an overview of ranking and management recommendations in terms relating to the Klein River as presented in Turpie and Clark (2007). Section 6.6 presents an assessment of the potential contribution of the Klein River Estuary to meeting the overall conservation targets for temperate estuarine habitats.

2.4 Co-operative governance and co-management

The integrated development planning approach to local government activities requires strong horizontal linkages between sectors in order to overcome the divisions that are invariably present in organisations as a result of the vertical nature of accountability structures in line departments. It also requires linkages and clear definition of mandates and competencies between different tiers of government.

The practical implementation of co-operative governance – the term that is used to describe the linkage mechanism – requires dedicated effort and supportive structures. It has been formalised through the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Bill (2005) and mechanisms introduced at many levels through various policies and legislation, including:
The National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) Bill (2007) promotes co- operative governance between sectors whose activities have a bearing on coastal development or an impact on coastal environments. The aim of Coastal Management structures is to support and develop capacity within

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 9 sectoral agencies, line departments and local government to enable them to address issues that are specific to coastal environments. Estuarine
Catchment Management Agencies, in the process of management is a developing their catchment management strategies, must model case for the seek co-operation and agreement on water-related matters from the various stakeholders and interested persons, practice of co- including municipalities within the catchment (National operative Water Act, 1998). governance:
One of the objectives of the Biodiversity Act (2004) is to provide for co-operative governance in biodiversity management and conservation. “In regard to an area which falls under the An EMP is essentially a vehicle for co-operative governance because no single department can address all of the issues jurisdiction of more that require planning and action in this context. By virtue of than one organ of the nature of the systems that intersect around an estuary, the EMP requires the co-operation of at least the organs of state state, e.g. in relation that are responsible for fresh water management, marine to the management resources management, land use management, development of an estuarine planning, biodiversity conservation and agriculture, besides the municipality and possibly other departments, depending ecosystem, all organs on the particular local situation, such as Minerals and Energy of state involved (mining) and Land Affairs. In addition, through the principle of participatory planning, non-governmental and community- (Marine and Coastal based organisations, property owners and individuals are also Management, party to the co-operative governance process. Department of Water Decisions relating to development involve more than physical Affairs and Forestry, planning based on environmental factors alone. The need for economic growth and equitable access to opportunities must DEA&DP, Western be taken into account. Structures that support co-operative Cape Nature governance help to ensure that all interests are catered for. Conservation Board, There are also models for interested and affected citizens to the municipality etc.) participate not only in the planning process but also in the management of resources. The arrangement whereby public must apply the and private entities co-operate for this purpose is termed co- principles [of co- management. A range of models have been tested with varying degrees of success in South Africa, particularly for the operative purpose of managing coastal resources. All of these coastal governance] in resource management projects have been managed on a co- operative basis by communities with assistance from relation to their government or aid organisations (Hauck and Sowman, 2003). dealings with one Some examples of co-management arrangements of relevance to the EMP are: another.”
The Protected Areas Act (2003) makes provision for the (EnAct, 2003) designation of privately owned land as a protected area and for co-management arrangements between the land owner and the relevant conservation agency.
A water user association is in effect a co-operative association of individual water users who wish to undertake water-related activities for their mutual benefit (National Water Act, 1998).
The C.A.P.E. Conservation Stewardship programme facilitates co-management arrangements between private land owners and CapeNature for the purpose of conserving biodiversity on privately owned land.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 10 The underlying assumption of co-management is that “users will act more responsibly towards the long-term goal of sustainability” if they are involved in management (Hara, 2003: 14).

2.5 Monitoring and adaptive management

Planning for change in estuaries, like any ecosystem, is an inexact science. Without comprehensive, current and Adaptive scientifically verifiable information it is impossible to management is adequately describe the current situation. It is also very difficult to accurately define a desired outcome for change and described in more outcomes-based or consequences-selected management detail on Data Sheet actions or interventions cannot always be accurately predicted in a dynamic system such as an estuary. No.35

This leaves EMP developers with two options: either do nothing until sufficient information is available, thereby risking further degradation; or attempt to select management actions which are hypothesised to move the current state towards a desired end-point, defined using best available knowledge but at the same time adopting a precautionary approach to check the outcomes of the management actions and interventions.

This approach is one that is referred to as ‘adaptive management’. An outcome is postulated from selected management actions or interventions. The impacts of these actions are continually monitored to ensure that change is moving the current state towards the desired end point. If this is not the case, management actions are adapted and are again monitored. Thus, through a process of continual adaptation and refinement, management actions are tailored to suit the specific estuary and the specific desired point is defined using best available knowledge.

2.6 Concluding notes

The Klein River EMP will:

give effect to the principles of sustainable development as articulated in the NFSD (2006);
identify the linkages for integration with the municipal IDP
contribute to meeting overall conservation targets for temperate estuary habitats
provide the required framework for the participation of all government and non-government organisations and individuals who have a role or interest in the EMP
employ adaptive management as a technique for mobilising the management of the estuary as an urgently required intervention.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 11 3 POLICY AND PLANNING ENVIRONMENT

This section builds on the concepts identified in the previous section by identifying the vehicles through which the concepts are applied in the study area. It includes a review of the most important informants for, and tools that can be employed in, estuarine management in the CFR generally, as provided by policy, legislation and planning frameworks and strategies, and identifies the related planning instruments applicable to the particular area.

Further information is available in a suite of guidelines prepared for the C.A.P.E. Estuaries Programme, listed in Data Sheet No.9.

3.1 Integrated environmental management

The framework for integrated environmental management (IEM) is established in the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA, 1998). The implementation of IEM is regulated primarily through the Environmental Impact Assessment regulations of 2006. These set out a process to be followed where an activity is proposed that may have an impact on the environment. The regulations include a list of activities requiring either a Basic Assessment process or Scoping and Environmental Impact Assessment. An abridged list of the activities that are most likely to arise in the study area is provided in Data Sheet No.7.

In Western Cape, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEA&DP) is the competent authority to whom applications for environmental authorisation must be submitted. Municipalities wishing to undertake any of the listed activities must comply with the regulations in their capacity as project developer. They are also required to assist in the enforcement of the EIA regulations by reporting incidents of non-compliance to DEA&DP. Building plan approval for a listed activity cannot be issued by the Municipality without environmental authorisation from DEA&DP.

There is no stipulation in the legislation that Municipalities must employ environmental officers or managers. The portfolio frequently becomes an ‘add-on’ to, for example, the LED Manager’s job description. More commonly it becomes the responsibility of an Environmental Health Officer who is seldom trained or skilled in managing the environmental component of integrated development planning. The Municipal Systems Act (2000) does not include an Integrated Environmental Management Plan as one of the minimum requirements of an IDP. Through review processes ongoing since 2002, the DEAT has identified that the majority of IDPs have not adequately considered environmental issues in their planning processes.

The IDP Guide Pack (DPLG, 2001) recommends the inclusion of an Integrated Environmental Programme as a mechanism for ensuring that environmental issues are addressed in municipal planning processes. This programme should describe the manner in which the Municipality will ensure environmental compliance with the principles of sustainable development. It should also identify those projects and ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 12 activities proposed through the IDP process that have the potential to significantly affect the environment and those that require an EIA. On the whole, however, the Guide Pack makes scant reference to the need for environmental management within municipal institutions.

The DEAT has introduced a programme that aims to support local government in addressing this weakness. One of the interventions has been the development of IDP Environmental Toolkits (EEU, 2004).

The Klein River EMP can draw from and contribute to IEM by

» identifying any proposed activities in the study area that may require a Basic Assessment or Scoping and EIA; » aiming to strengthen and support the Municipality’s environmental management capacity.

3.2 Coastal and marine resources management

The White Paper for Sustainable Coastal Development (2000) is the policy that gave rise to the recently promulgated National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Bill (ICM Bill, 2007).

The Bill is the direct legal frame of reference for the EMP: Chapter 4, which is devoted to estuaries, describes the process for establishing a National Estuarine Management Protocol and Estuarine Management Plans. The detailed requirements for EMPs are not spelled out; this is one of the items identified for attention in the Estuarine Management Protocol. Guidelines have not yet been officially adopted but the development of the Protocol is well underway.
The Eastern Cape Estuaries Programme has been operational for some time and, with support from the Water A bibliography of Research Commission, has produced a number of guideline documents Estuarine Management guideline documents targeting co- management forums and IDP practitioners. on Estuarine Management is
The C.A.P.E. Estuaries Programme commissioned a series of guideline documents on a range of themes provided in Data relating to EMP and also the development of a generic Sheet No.9 EMP (van Niekerk and Taljaard, 2007) as a guideline for the pilot phase.

The EMP for the Klein River estuary, as one of the six pilot projects, has the potential to contribute to the development and ongoing improvement of the Estuaries Management Protocol.

» A ‘lessons learnt’ evaluation process should be included as an explicit component of the development of this, and any other, EMP.

The ICM Bill contains other provisions that have a bearing on the EMP:
The preparation of provincial and municipal coastal management programmes. The latter must, inter alia, be consistent with national estuarine management protocol and may include EMPs.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 13
The area below the high water mark is defined as coastal public property which must be accessible to the public. The municipality is required to introduce a by-law that designates coastal access land for this purpose and must ensure that it is signposted, maintained and equipped with public facilities where appropriate. This applies to estuaries as well as the seashore.
An area referred to as the coastal protection zone is defined as including, inter alia, coastal protected areas, privately owned portions of the admiralty reserve and seashore, and the entire extent of any land parcels that are wholly or partially located within 1km of the high water mark of the sea or an estuary and that are not within an urban edge or human settlement area, i.e. that are zoned for agricultural or indeterminate use, or are not zoned. In other zones, it is 100m (not 1km).

The purpose of the coastal protection zone is to enable the use of this land to be “managed, regulated or restricted” for various objectives. Further information is provided in Data Sheet No.11. This aspect of the ICM Bill could potentially have significant implications for the Klein River EMP.

» Further interrogation of the implications of the Coastal Protection Zone for the Klein River EMP is required.

The Western Cape is unique in South Africa in that the Provincial Planning directorate (DEA&DP) has produced a Coastal Zone Policy as a guideline to support decisions relating to spatial aspects of development in the coastal zone. This is potentially a useful resource for the EMP (refer Data Sheet No.3) but the document could not be sourced.

» Further efforts will be made to locate the Coastal Zone Policy for the Western Cape

Coastal management is defined as a District Municipality competency unless otherwise agreed between the District and Local Municipalities. Many of the suggested components of the municipal coastal management programmes are Local Municipality competencies, e.g. zoning schemes and by-laws relating to access lands.

» The EMP should seek to clarify the issue of mandates for coastal management in the Overberg / Overstrand.

The ICM Bill also provides for the establishment of structures to facilitate co-operative governance in the coastal zone, in the form of a provincial Environmental Affairs Coastal Management sub-directorate and a Provincial Coastal Committee as a forum for co-operative decision-making. Although there is coastal management capacity in the offices of DEA&DP and the metropolitan municipalities, their role is to facilitate a co-ordinated programme of activities, the components of which are generally hosted by other agencies such as the municipalities, DWAF, CapeNature, etc.

The Marine and Coastal Management (MCM) directorate of DEAT is also a stakeholder in the EMP process on the basis of their role in the management of marine living resources ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 14 which aims to protect the habitats of marine organisms in order to secure the sustainability of the fisheries along our coast. Much of MCM’s activities, including permitting and enforcement, is regulated in terms of the Marine Living Resources Act (1998).

Marine pollution is another aspect of coastal management that is regulated in terms of the ICM Bill and a number of other instruments referred to in the C.A.P.E. Estuaries Guideline 1 (Taljaard, 2007).

Regulations relating to the control of the use of vehicles in the coastal zone (which definition includes estuaries) were promulgated in terms of NEMA in 2001 and amended in 2004. The introduction of these regulations created the need for the licensing of boat launch sites in order to permit the use of vehicles at designated sites.

The mandates for managing compliance and enforcement associated with fisheries, pollution, the use of vehicles and launch sites are generally the source of confusion particularly for municipalities.

» The EMP should seek to clarify the issue of mandates for compliance and enforcement.

The EMP can draw from and support coastal and marine resources management by:

» Becoming a foundation stone for the coastal management programme for the Overstrand and Overberg; » Contributing to the development of the national estuarine management protocol; » Being represented on the Provincial Coastal Committee; » Supporting the Overstrand and Overberg Municipalities towards achieving compliance with the ICM Bill; » Servicing the objectives of the Marine Living Resources Act (1998).

3.3 Catchment management

The White Paper on a National Water Policy for South Africa (DWAF, 1997) and the National Water Act (NWA, 1998) have established the key principles in the management of water resources in South Africa: equity, sustainability and optimal use (efficiency). They establish the catchment as the “unit of management” for water resources and further provide for the establishment of water resource management institutions. The NWA requires that water resource protection (including conservation and demand management) should be balanced with water resource development to achieve sustainable utilisation of the resource.

“Catchment management is the integrated management of all water resources in an area, with input from local stakeholders. It is simultaneously a philosophy, process and strategy to achieve sustainable balance between utilisation and protection of water resources in a particular catchment area, taking account of inter-dependencies with other catchments.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 15 Catchment management recognises the need for mutual dependence of water resource and land use management, and is based in consensual participation by relevant A catchment stakeholders, communities and organs of state.” (DWAF, management strategy 2001). should include the The National Water Resources Strategy (NWRS, 2004) following components provides the overarching strategy context for catchment (Breen and McKenzie, 2001, management. The NWRS, together with water resources cited in Job, 2007) classification and Reserve determination (resource directed measures), provide the framework for catchment management within a Water Management Area. The Reserve provides for » social component the water quantity and quality for basic human needs and the quantity and quality to protect aquatic ecosystems in a » institutional sustainable manner. The attainment of resource quality objectives are given effect through catchment management component strategies (CMS), also required by the Act. » biophysical The National Water Act views estuaries as water resources thereby enabling the full range of protection and management management mechanisms to these systems (classification of water component resources, determination of the Reserve and setting resource quality objectives). » legislative/policy A Breede River Catchment Management Agency has been component established. The Klein River Catchment Management Steering Committee has engaged in this process. However, the Klein River and its estuary appear not to have been » water allocation prioritised in the planned Reserve determination studies. plan

An estuarine Reserve determination is needed in order to: » economic
enable definition and targets for the resource directed measures required to improve the status of the river and component the estuary.
ensure that water quality management issues are addressed in line with national guidelines
inform requirements for improved environmental performance of land-based activities in the catchment that impact on water quality and flows in the estuary, (depending on the relative contribution of flows of the Klein River sub catchments and tributaries to the ecological reserve requirements for the Klein river Estuary).

» The EMP can draw from and support catchment management by being a key platform for the development of an estuarine reserve determination process.

3.4 Biodiversity conservation

Overall, the policy, legal and strategy mechanisms for biodiversity conservation (refer Data Sheet 2) can provide for the proactive planning and conservation as well as avoidance of loss and degradation of natural habitat in critical biodiversity areas which include: Critically endangered ecosystems; endangered ecosystems; ecological corridors; river corridors; wetlands and estuaries; and special habitats. Bioregional plans published in terms of the Biodiversity Act will identify critical biodiversity areas on a map, and will provide guidelines

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 16 for land-use planning and decision-making in these critical biodiversity areas.

The challenge for the Klein River EMP and its effective implementation is to enlist supporting policy and law for the effective integration of biodiversity conservation planning at different scales and within the interdependent terrestrial, freshwater, estuarine and marine ecosystems.

The EMP can draw from and support biodiversity conservation by:

» ensuring that a sufficient target is set and planned for the conservation of represented estuarine habitats » providing a platform for a Reserve determination process and hence ensuring the persistence of the estuarine biodiversity in the long-term. » recommending appropriate protection status and further measures that enable an appropriate level of integration and connectivity between the marine and coastal and terrestrial, freshwater ecosystems in recommendations n conservation and land use planning. » recommending appropriate zoning and associated legal protection measures for the estuarine habitats as well as their integration with the IDP, SDF and municipal Land Use Management Systems » ensuring that the implications of climate change are taken into account. » informing the conservation of terrestrial habitat and the attainment of resource quality objectives for the river. » providing a tangible link between the health of the estuarine and related systems to the direct and indirect socio-economic value of the estuary. » consolidating an important coastal conservation node for the Overberg District and Overstrand Municipality with significant (and well subscribed) tourism and recreational value.

3.5 Estuaries classification and prioritisation

Broadly defined, estuaries are those portions of rivers that interact, to varying degrees, with the sea and the marine environment (Breen and McKenzie, 2001). South African estuaries, unlike those in other parts of the world, are more frequently closed to the sea than open.

Classification systems identify five types of estuaries occurring in South Africa. According to Reddering and Rust (1990), few southern African systems are true estuaries with only 37 (12.8%) of the 289 river mouths maintaining permanent tidal inlets with the sea. Whitfield (1992) suggested the following classification:
Estuarine bays – large tidal prism, tidal mixing process, average salinity 20-35 ppt). Examples : Durban Bay (KwaZulu-Natal), Knysna (Western Cape);
Permanently open estuaries – moderate tidal prism, tidal/ riverine mixing process, average salinity 10- >35 ppt. Examples : Mlalazi (KwaZulu-Natal), Mzimkhulu, Mngazana, Keiskamma (Eastern Cape), Berg (Western Cape);

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 17
River mouths – small tidal prism, riverine mixing process, average salinity < 10 ppt. Examples : Mfolozi (KwaZulu- Natal), Orange;
Estuarine lakes – negligible tidal prism, mixing process - wind, average salinity 1- >35 ppt. Examples : St Lucia (KwaZulu-Natal), Swartvlei (Western Cape);
Temporarily closed estuaries – tidal prism absent, mixing process - wind, salinity 1- >35 ppt. Examples : Mtata, Kasuka (Eastern Cape).

The Klein River estuary is classified by Whitfield as a temporarily closed estuary but by Turpie (2004) as an estuarine lake. The estuaries in the CFR are referred to as ‘temperate’ in contract to the ‘sub-tropical’ estuaries on the east coast.

Turpie and Clark (2007) have presented a conservation plan for temperate South African Estuaries on the basis of biodiversity importance, ecosystem health and economic costs and benefits. Information on the plan is provided in Data Sheet No.8. The process for selecting estuarine areas to meet the set biodiversity targets at the lowest net cost or highest net benefit involved the division of each large estuary into two conservation units theoretically available to conservation on the basis that it was not practical to assume that 100% of most estuaries were available for conservation.

In Turpie and Clark’s (2007) conservation importance rating for all temperate estuaries, the Klein River Estuary is rated fifth in importance of temperate estuaries after the Knysna, Orange, Berg and Olifants river estuaries, and is ranked ninth nationally (after Whitfield, 2000).

Health of the temperate estuaries was assessed based on Whitfield’s previous assessment (2000). The Klein River Estuary is rated as good. However, it is ranked as high priority for rehabilitation, addressing in particular water quality (pollution), water quantity, alien clearing and mouth management.

Turpie and Clark’s (2007) proposals in relation to the Klein River Estuary are presented below.
The Klein River Estuary river is selected part of the core biodiversity set required to meet biodiversity conservation targets;
Half of the Klein River Estuary area should effectively function as a sanctuary area;
A limit of 50% development/transformation of the margin of the Klein River Estuary should be enforced.
The Klein River Estuary should be managed towards an A/B Minimum Water Requirement Class (where management class denotes the future state of health of the estuary, from A - near natural to D –functional and with A- class systems having greater water requirements than D- class systems (see further description in section 5.3).
The rehabilitation priority for the Klein River is high focusing on the priorities mentioned above.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 18 Overall, the Klein River Estuary is a priority estuary for biodiversity conservation, provision of ecological services, specifically its nursery area linked to the recovery of economically important fish species (for which stocks have collapsed – further information will be sourced from Steve Lamberth, MCM) and tourism value.

The key to maintaining all of the above values are water quality and water quantity. A Reserve determination provides the information that is needed to balance water required for basic human needs and for the ecological Reserve. In the absence of a Reserve determination, there is no basis on which to negotiate. Considering the conservation value and economic importance of the Klein River estuary, one could argue that the estuary requires all of the current flows and an improvement of flow dynamics in order to support improved estuarine ecosystem functioning. To achieve this, no further abstractions should be authorised and future water allocations would have to be matched by savings through more efficient and conservative use (pers.comm. L. van Niekerk, CSIR). In South Africa, sustainable development imperatives and the backlog in meeting basic needs means that there is pressure for resources to be allocated for development. A Reserve determination which favours the ecological Reserve at the expense of basic needs could be regarded as stifling development ( pers.comm. J. Roberts, Breede WMA).

Current action by the municipality to prohibit swimming in the estuary due to water quality problems is an indicator that water quality is an issue that requires urgent attention.

The EMP can support estuarine habitat conservation in temperate South African estuaries by:

» Ensuring that a sufficient target is set and planned for the conservation of represented estuarine habitats in fine scale planning. » Recommending appropriate zoning and associated legal protection measures for the estuarine habitats; » Providing a platform for a Reserve determination process and hence ensuring the persistence of the estuarine biodiversity in the long-term through the achievement of the desired minimum water requirement management class; and, » Ensuring that the implications of climate change are taken into account. » Provide a starting point for adaptive management of the Klein River Estuary.

3.6 LandCare

The Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act (CARA, 1983) regulates the use of natural agricultural resources in order to promote conservation of the soil, vegetation and water by addressing erosion, weeds and invader plants, veld fires and water resources. It applies to all land owners and monitoring and enforcement is the responsibility of the Department of Agriculture through its designated officers.

The Department has a national LandCare programme that supports provincial and local governments and communities in

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 19 giving effect to CARA. The LandCare programme’s vision is “to have communities and individuals adopt an ecologically sustainable approach to the management of South Africa’s environment and natural resources, while improving their livelihoods” (DOA, 2001) with the aim of curtailing soil degradation through improved management of agricultural practices and resource harvesting. It does this through the promotion of partnerships between public and private sector and communities, skills development, institutional arrangements and entrepreneurial support to resource management initiatives.

Although the Programme’s resources are largely focused in other provinces, a number of small grants projects were initiated in the Overberg region in 1999. The Stanford Groundwater LandCare Project was planned as a catalytic local economic empowerment intervention through the planting of 165ha of municipal land with fynbos and indigenous flowers. Funding was initially provided by LandCare for a three-year period, generating 102 jobs, after which Lotto and the Municipality continued to support the project.

The Overberg IDP identifies a Junior LandCare project (no.E5.7) relating to rehabilitation of the natural and urban environments in Overstrand (possibly alien vegetation control) with Department of Agriculture as the responsible institution.

LandCare also supports a programme, in partnership with CapeNature, of advising farmers on environmentally sustainable farming techniques although this has not been active in the area recently.

» The EMP can support the LandCare programme by identifying potential linkages – most likely to be in respect of erosion control – and actions for activating them.

3.7 Municipality-wide spatial planning and land use management

The introduction of integrated development planning and the Many municipalities, demarcation of area-wide local municipalities meant that, for the first time in 2000, local municipalities were responsible for including Overstrand, planning and land use management in rural and agricultural have yet to complete areas as well as urban. This introduced the requirement that land use zoning schemes should be developed for rural areas their schemes and in order to integrate urban and rural within the municipal land develop the capacity use management system. It also introduced the need for an ‘urban edge’ as a mechanism for containing the spread of required to manage urban development into rural and agricultural areas. agricultural and rural Spatial planning is conducted at the strategic level through the areas. IDP process and encapsulated in the Spatial Development Framework (SDF) whereas zoning schemes (discussed in Section 4.8) are the instruments for managing land use. The SDF is a tool that aims to redress past spatial imbalances, indicate directions for growth and major movement routes. At provincial level it is used inter alia to identify towns with potential for growth and, at national level to identify catalytic growth and development initiatives.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 20 The use of GIS by municipalities has made it possible to improve the level of integration between SDFs and conservation planning and stewardship initiatives, amongst other things. In Western Cape, the Bioregional Planning approach has been used for some time as a decision-support tool in strategic planning and land use management. As the various biodiversity conservation Bioregional Programmes complete their fine-scale planning and associated guidelines, so will it become easier for planning practitioners to take this into account in the preparation of SDFs and the decisions associated with land use management.

Another aspect of conservation that is receiving increased attention in land use management since the administrative integration of urban and rural/agricultural areas is the conservation of high potential and unique agricultural land. This reflects an international trend that has emerged from concerns about the increasing encroachment of urban development into agricultural areas, generating a transformation process involving subdivision of farm lands, the introduction of non-agricultural uses into agricultural areas, be they on-farm or off-farm, and the change of use from agricultural to other, including residential estates, golf estates, resorts, agricultural industries and intensive feed farming.

This trend impacts on agricultural productivity and causes the transformation of pastoral landscapes into urban sprawl. It also has benefits: diversification of farming activities may be essential for the continued viability of a farm; agri-tourism is one of the activities that is increasing in agricultural areas and may include the sale of produce produced on the farm, horse stabling and riding, wine tasting, bed-and-breakfasts etc. The challenge in land use management is to ensure that the non- farm uses do not undermine the agricultural value and integrity of the area and detract from the agri-tourism experience.

Both the Overberg and Overstrand SDFs stress the importance of maintaining the rural character of the area and provide comprehensive guidelines for land use management in agricultural areas. The subdivision of agricultural land is subject to a range of authorisations, including the Department of Agriculture, in terms of the Subdivision of Agricultural Land Act (1970), as well as the EIA Regulations (refer Data Sheet No.7) and the Land Use Planning Ordinance. DEA&DP has produced a range of guideline documents to support the decision-making process, and provide a greater degree of certainty for prospective developers, including Guidelines for the Development of Golf and Polo Estates, also for Resorts. The latter is currently being reviewed. Guidelines for the management of land use in agricultural areas in the Western Cape are currently being developed.

The development of the EMP can

» draw from and inform spatial planning and land use management in the study area, particularly in respect of provisions for the integration of biodiversity planning, land use in the rural and agricultural areas around the estuary, and the identification of opportunities for related tourism development.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 21 3.8 Governance systems, institutional capacities and mandates

A critical component to the preparation of the Management Action Plans associated with the EMP is an understanding of:
who makes policy and plans for management in the study area;
who issues licenses, permits and authorisations;
who monitors compliance and is responsible for their enforcement, and
in respect of all of the above, what capacity is available to them to support the implementation of these mandates.

This analysis aims to establish a baseline that reflects the normative position, i.e. who should be doing it, in terms of mandates conferred by the policy and legislation framework. This will provide a matrix which, during the development of the EMP, can be expanded to reflect unfunded mandates, delegated responsibilities, gaps and inadequately resourced offices. The foundation for the matrix is represented in Table 1. Some information on local government capacity that was collected during the assessment process is recorded in Data Sheet No.16.

Table 1 Mandates applicable to the study area Who issues licenses / Who monitors compliance Functional area Who makes policy/plans permits / authorisations / enforces Estuary management DEAT Activity dependent Activity dependent (ICM Bill, 2007) Water use / abstraction Breede Catchment DWAF (Water) – Breede Catchment Management Agency WARMS Management Agency (National Water Act, 1998) (Data Sheet No.36) (National Water Act, 1998) Water flow / dam Breede Catchment Breede Catchment Breede Catchment management Management Agency Management Agency Management Agency (National Water Act, 1998) (National Water Act, 1998) (National Water Act, 1998) Estuarine pollution DEAT DEAT DEAT resulting from human (ICM Bill, 2007) (ICM Bill, 2007) (ICM Bill, 2007) waste (sewage, urban surface water, solid waste) Marine pollution DEAT (MCM) DEAT (MCM) DEAT (MCM) (ICM Bill, 2007) (ICM Bill, 2007) (ICM Bill, 2007) Estuarine pollution and DWAF (Water) DWAF (Water) Breede Catchment siltation resulting from (National Water Act, 1998) (National Water Act, 1998) Management Agency run-off in agricultural Dept of Agriculture (National Water Act, 1998) areas (CARA, 1983) Protection of milkwoods DWAF (Forestry) DWAF (Forestry) DWAF (Forestry) (National Forests Act, 1998) (National Forests Act, 1998) (National Forests Act, 1998) Alien vegetation clearing Dept of Agriculture (CARA, 1983)

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 22 Who issues licenses / Who monitors compliance Functional area Who makes policy/plans permits / authorisations / enforces Flooding Overberg District Overstrand Municipality Overstrand Municipality Municipality (Development applications - (Development applications - (Disaster Management) flood lines) flood lines) (MSA, 2000) Breede WMA (flood lines) (National Water Act, 1998) Land use of coastal DEAT DEAT DEAT public property (below (ICM Bill, 2007) (ICM Bill, 2007) (ICM Bill, 2007) the high-water mark) Operation and Province DEAT DEAT maintenance of (Constitution, 1996) (Data (ICM Bill, 2007) (ICM Bill, 2007) recreation facilities on Sheet No.4) coastal public property Operation and Overstrand Municipality DEA&DP if subject to DEA&DP if subject to maintenance of EIA authorisation, e.g. EIA authorisation, e.g. recreation facilities on within 100m of high-water within 100m of high-water municipal land that is not mark mark coastal public property (NEMA, 1998) (NEMA, 1998) Land use management Overstrand Local Overstrand Local Overstrand Local outside of coastal public Municipality Municipality Municipality property (MSA, 2000) (MSA, 2000) (MSA, 2000)

Applications for new PGWC DEA&DP and PGWC DEA&DP PGWC DEA&DP (IEM) development involving DEAT (LUPO, 1985 and EIA Regs, and Overstrand Local 2006) change of use / rezoning (LUPO, 1985; NEMA, 1998) Municipality (MSA, 2000) Applications for new PGWC DEA&DP and PGWC DEA&DP and PGWC DEA&DP development involving DoA DoA and Overstrand Local subdivision of agricultural (LUPO, 1985; Subdivision of (LUPO, 1985; Subdivision of Municipality land Agricultural Land Act, 1970) Agricultural Land Act, 1970) (MSA, 2000) Calculation of flood lines Breede Catchment Development - Development - Management Agency Overstrand Local Overstrand Local (National Water Act, 1998) Municipality Municipality (MSA, 2000) (MSA, 2000) Activities in the coastal Activity dependent Activity dependent Activity dependent protection zone Recreational use of the Cape Nature Overstrand Municipality Overstrand Municipality water body surface Conservation Board and (Municipal By-law, 2004) (Municipal By-law, 2004) Overstrand Municipality (Proclamation 357, 1972; Municipal By-law, 2004) Use of ORVs in the DEAT (MCM) DEAT (MCM) DEAT (MCM) coastal zone (ORV Regulations 2001) (ORV Regulations 2001) (ORV Regulations 2001) Harvesting of marine DEAT – MCM DEAT – MCM DEAT – MCM living resources (e.g. (Marine Living Resources Act, (Marine Living Resources Act, (Marine Living Resources Act, shellfish, bait, fish) 1998) 1998) 1998) Harvesting of other DEAT DEAT DEAT resources on coastal (ICM Bill, 2007; Marine Living (ICM Bill, 2007; Marine Living (ICM Bill, 2007; Marine Living public property Resources Act, 1998) Resources Act, 1998) Resources Act, 1998) Marine Protected Areas DEAT – MCM DEAT – MCM DEAT – MCM (Marine Living Resources Act, (Marine Living Resources Act, (Marine Living Resources Act, 1998) 1998) 1998)

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 23 » The EMP will facilitate co-operative governance and the negotiation of appropriate vehicles for co-operation, capacity building and/or delegation in areas where weaknesses are impacting on estuarine values.

3.9 Concluding notes

The Klein EMP will be informed by national and regional policies and strategies for integrated environmental management, marine resources and coastal management, catchment management, biodiversity conservation including estuaries, the conservation of agricultural resources, and the roll-out of municipality-wide spatial planning and land use management. The specific instruments associated with these frameworks are discussed in the next section.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 24 4 PLANNING INSTRUMENTS

This section discusses the specific regional and sub-regional planning instruments that have a bearing on, and can be informed by, the EMP and identifies the mechanisms though which the EMP can engage with them: » Overberg District IDP and SDF » Overstrand Municipality IDP and SDF » C.A.P.E. Bioregional Programme » Overberg fine-scale biodiversity planning » Agulhas Biodiversity Initiative » Breede River Water Management Strategy » Kleinriviersvlei and Klein River Structure Plan » Zoning schemes

4.1 Overberg District Municipality IDP and SDF

Summaries of relevant information contained in the IDP and SDF are provided in Data Sheet No’s. 18 and 19 respectively. Overberg is a The documents were reviewed in order to identify potential Category C District areas for alignment and integration. Of particular relevance for the EMP are: Municipality, within
The identification of bioregional planning objectives as the which the Overstrand basis for sustainable environmental management (Strategy Category B no. E1 in the IDP). This aspect has been developed in “rough grain mapping” in the SDF and presented with Municipality is guidelines and a list of strategies and projects. located.
Many of the projects listed in the SDF have stated objectives that are aligned with EMP objectives and (Refer Figure 1) therefore present potential opportunities to be invoked in support of the EMP;
One example of the strategies and projects included in the SDF is to protect estuaries and river mouths from developmental impact by regulating all development in accordance with Plan 2 of the SDF (land use classification on the basis of Spatial Planning Categories) and strictly applying the value system (Chapter 8 of the SDF) in decision-making. The Overberg District Municipality (ODM) is identified as the responsible party.
Some of the other projects that potentially have relevance as integrators between the EMP and ODM IDP/SDF:

» Klein River alien plant clearing » Scoping for upgrading of boat slipways » Strategic planning relating to water resources; » Managing and monitoring solid waste disposal and chemical pollution; » Development of more biospheres and/or Green Corridors » Rehabilitation pilot projects » Establishment of a network of protected areas and conservancies.

The list of projects identified in the ODM SDF is extensive and includes not only those that would be implemented by ODM but also those that fall within the mandated area of, for example, SANParks, CapeNature, DWAF and Department of Agriculture.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 25 4.2 Overstrand Local Municipality IDP and SDF

Summaries of relevant information contained in the IDP and SDF are provided in Data Sheet No’s. 20 and 21 respectively. As per the District plans, the documents were reviewed in order to identify potential areas for alignment and integration. Aspects that hold potential impacts or opportunities for the preparation of the EMP are:
The Mayor’s published speech on the IDP identifies “management and conservation of the natural environment” as one of the Municipality’s strategic goals but highlights unfunded mandates and the lack of funding as an impediment.
The 5-year plan included with the Mayor’s speech includes reference to investigations into the feasibility of desalination and alternative management options for the Municipal caravan parks, including De Mond.
Proposed development projects and infrastructure challenges are assessed in Section 8 in order to identify the threats and opportunities that could be addressed through the EMP. The IDP highlights the need for addressing the shortage of affordable housing and other infrastructure backlogs.
Aquaculture is identified in the IDP as a potential opportunity for local economic development, and a sector strategy, involving inter alia the identification of land. The strategy is due to be completed in 2007.
The development of bicycle paths is proposed as a strategy to attract tourists, encourage non-motorised transport and create job opportunities.
The IDP identifies the need to broaden the ownership base of the economy through the release of municipal land to HDI partners.
The SDF includes a range of environmental protection principles, amongst which is the restriction of development within the carrying capacity limitations of the natural resource base.
It includes goal statements, with associated objectives, for » the protection of biodiversity » conservation and sustainable use of natural resources » a strong local economic base in rural areas through non- consumptive tourism and agriculture, and » the management of development pressure and its spatial implications.
Amongst the strategies for land use management are the delineation of a Rural Development Area (RDA) which includes the Klein River estuary (refer Figure 4) and the application of urban edges at Hermanus and Stanford (refer Figure 5). The location of the urban edge for Stanford is one of the items still being discussed between Overstrand and DEA&DP.
The use of bioregional planning is promoted as a means of supporting decision-making relating to change of use and/or subdivision applications. The SDF includes spatial definition and guidelines for Spatial Planning Categories (SPCs) (refer Figure 5)

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 26
The SDF provides for all state-owned conservation-worthy land to be established as contract nature reserves through its inclusion in CapeNature’s Conservation Stewardship programme. An intensive agricultural resource area is identified in the Stanford area (refer Figure 3).

The Overstrand Municipality does not have a summary list of funded projects identified through the IDP process, and provincial approval of the SDF is not yet secured (pers.comm . Senior Planner: Overstrand Municipality, 20-11-2007). The comments here refer to the Final Draft version of the SDF document.

The EMP can draw from and support the Overstrand IDP and SDF by:

» elaborating on the potential linkages that have been identified here – e.g. IDP and SDF projects that have common objectives or spatial overlap – and including actions for activating these links. » This would include the adoption by the Municipality of the EMP as a component of the proposed Klein River Rural Development Framework.

Figure 3 Intensive agricultural resource areas in the vicinity of the study area (Source: Overstrand SDF)

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 27 Figure 4 Proposed Rural Development Area (RDA) : Klein River, Stanford / Wortelgat area (Source: Overstrand SDF)

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 28 Figure 5 Spatial Planning Categories in the study area (Source: Overstrand SDF)

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 29 4.3 C.A.P.E. Bioregional Programme

Bioregional programmes are multi-sectoral partnership programmes that aim to link biodiversity conservation with socio-economic development. The C.A.P.E. Programme is described as “a partnership for sustaining life in the fynbos and adjacent shores”. The C.A.P.E. Programme was initiated under the C.A.P.E Strategy in 2000 and includes both the GEF-supported Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Development and the Agulhas Biodiversity Initiative.

The goal of C.A.P.E. is that "By the year 2020, the natural environment of the Cape Floristic Region will be effectively conserved and restored wherever appropriate, and will deliver significant benefits to the people of the region in a way that is embraced by local communities, endorsed by government and recognised internationally".

The components of the C.A.P.E.’s 20-year strategy are: conserving biodiversity in priority areas; using resources sustainably; and strengthening institutions and governance.

Table 2 outlines the overall design of the initial five year implementation programme.

Table 2 The C.A.P.E. Programme components DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE 1: DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE 2: Conservation of the CFR is enhanced through piloting A foundation is established for mainstreaming and adapting site-based models for sustainable, biodiversity in the CFR into economic activities effective management

1. Institutional strengthening 4. Protected areas

2. Conservation education 5. Biodiversity economy and conservation stewardship

3. Program co-ordination, management and 6. Watershed management monitoring

The C.A.P.E’s Estuarine Management programme falls within the watershed management component of the conservation objective. It is through this regional Programme that the Klein River Estuary has been identified as a priority for management intervention.

The Klein River Estuary EMP and its implementation could draw from and inform C.A.P.E’s programme through:

» It’s potential as one of the pilot projects in C.A.P.E.’s Watershed Management Programme to provide opportunities for learning; » Supporting the optimisation of the value of estuaries as an anchor in local government’s “biodiversity economy”; » Creating linkages with C.A.P.E.’s Conservation Stewardship programme

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 30 4.4 Overberg fine-scale biodiversity planning

A study is being commissioned by SANParks to undertake a fine-scale biodiversity plan for the Overberg District Municipality. This work will be undertaken in 2008 and will integrate the fine-scale conservation planning that has already been undertaken for the Agulhas Biodiversity Initiative as well as the Cape Lowlands Renosterveld Project. This is likely to inform the publication of a Bioregional Plan or Biodiversity Plan in terms of the Biodiversity Act (2004).

Further work on the land cover spatial layers by CapeNature (Don Kirkwood) has enabled an reanalysis of current ecosystem status of key vegetation types in the Klein River Catchment (see section 7).

The Overstrand Municipality has committed to including all public owned land that is of high conservation importance within a formal municipal reserve network (see Section 4.2).

The EMP can contribute to the fine-scale biodiversity planning process by:

» Identifying key linkages between intact or good state terrestrial, freshwater and estuarine habitats. The river corridor and surrounding conservation areas and critically endangered habitats provide the potential for biological corridor linkages between the inland Overberg mountains and the coast which are also identified as being an essential approach in planning for the impacts of climate change and long term persistence of ecosystems and processes that support them. » Identifying conservation priorities and providing protection and management recommendations.

4.5 Agulhas Biodiversity Initiative

The Agulhas Biodiversity Initiative (ABI) is seen as a pilot of the C.A.P.E. Programme and therefore shares the same overall goal as C.A.P.E. It has been designed to distil lessons and best practices in Phase 1 of C.A.P.E. in order to inform implementation of subsequent phases of the programme, through demonstration activities geared to addressing gaps in the management framework.

The outcome of ABI will be that biodiversity conservation and socio-economic development on the Agulhas Plain are significantly enhanced through effective management and co- ordinated stakeholder involvement. Outputs are described in Box 1. The following are the outcome indicators:
Area of priority land under conservation management (as protected and non-protected areas) in productive landscapes on the Agulhas Plain doubled by the end of the project to encompass approximately 112,000 ha and continues to increase;
No further loss of coastal of renosterveld and endemic Elim fynbos: 1,209 ha and 3,572 ha currently; 80% of the threatened vegetation types (refer Table 3) will be conserved by the end of the project;

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 31
Priority wetland ecosystems (Soetendals vlei, Voelvlei vlei, Langpan, Ratel vlei and Modder vlei) recovered to restore natural hydrological regime by the end of the project.

Table 3 Vegetation to be conserved through the ABI Vegetation type Priority rating Target remaining

Renoster fynbos 1 1,209 ha

Elim asteraceous fynbos 2 3,572 ha

Renosterveld 3 922 ha

Renoster grassland 4 1,418 ha

Elim transitional fynbos 5 1,678 ha

Box 1 Planned interventions through ABI

Output 1: Landscape-level conservation management and planning system developed and implemented in public-private partnerships negotiated by a well-capacitated extension service To achieve this output, the project would include a series of strategic interventions targeted at: » institutional strengthening and capacity building; » securing land under conservation management; » conservation management planning; » controlling alien plant spread; » fire management; » wetland rehabilitation; » monitoring, evaluation and management. Output 2: Ecologically, socially and ethically sustainable harvesting of wild fynbos is demonstrated as a viable land use on the Agulhas Plain » Review and update the legal framework pertaining to the flower industry; » secure the supply network for Flower Valley; » develop a certification scheme for sustainably harvested wild fynbos and join an internationally established scheme; » marketing of sustainably harvested wild fynbos; » pilot recording system for harvested species; » capacity building to implement COP (code of practice) for sustainable harvesting within the supply network; monitoring of sustainable harvesting; and replication of sustainable harvesting practices. Output 3: A participatory and responsible tourism strategy is implemented in the Agulhas Plain and contributes to sustainable livelihoods » Strengthen coordination among tourism activities and agencies in the AP; » Establish and market the Agulhas Plain route; » Support tourism initiatives in Agulhas Plain; » Monitoring of tourism activities.

Output 4: Increased local support for biodiversity conservation in the Agulhas Plain is generated through a broad-based conservation awareness program » Conservation awareness and outreach; » pilot alternative communication; » Early Learning Centres on environmental education; and monitoring.

ABI is testing a range of models for, inter alia, sustainable livelihoods and intergovernmental relations in implementation of a biodiversity project. Further, it is enabling tourism

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 32 activities as well as programmes for alien clearing, wetland rehabilitation, etc. Lessons need to be drawn from these pilot cases. ABI is also investigating the potential catalytic effect for the application of various conservation and land use management mechanisms such as farm-level planning undertaken through the LandCare programme.

The EMP can draw from and support the Agulhas Biodiversity Initiative by:

» identifying linkages for co-ordinated roll-out of activities during their respective implementation phases:

4.6 Breede River Water Management Strategy

The Breede River Water Management Area (WMA) is one of the 19 WMAs within South Africa. A proposal for the establishment of the Breede Water Catchment Management Agency (CMA) was compiled in 2004 and resulted in it being the second to be established in South Africa. The CMA has appointed a Board and is in the process of establishing management capacity for proposed delegated integrated water resource management functions.

A Catchment Management Strategy will be developed by the CMA. Until such time as this strategy is put in place, the Internal Strategic Perspective (ISP) for the Breede WMA, published by DWAF (2004) presents existing water resource information and provides an interim set of management strategies.

The ISP presents a programme for ecological reserve determination for quaternary catchments. The ecological reserve determination for the Klein River Estuary is scheduled to be completed within a 15 year time frame. It is noted in the ISP that abstraction of surplus winter water to off-channel storage, for the purpose of supporting limited irrigation expansion, remains an option for the Klein River.

The EMP can draw from and support the Breede Water Management Strategy in the following ways:

» Prioritise aspects of monitoring that can contribute to the reserve determination process. » Ensure that further water abstraction or use applications are considered within the framework of a precautionary approach, taking into account the conservation importance and the economic value of the Klein River Estuary.

4.7 Kleinriviersvlei and Klein River Structure Plan

A Structure Plan was prepared for this area in the early 1990s. The final proposals and recommendations are contained in a report dated 1993 but the Plan was neither adopted nor any of its recommendations acted upon. This is not unusual – not many plans prepared during and since this period have been adopted as statutory plans due to the slow pace of transformation of planning and development laws.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 33 The Structure Plan represents an extremely useful resource for the EMP because it covers a similar geographic extent and expressed similar goals and objectives to those that are emerging through the participation process for the EMP.

One of the strongest recommendations to emerge from the Plan was the need for a monitoring programme to provide data that could be used to gauge the capacity of the estuarine system to support recreational activities and further development before any further applications for development should be considered. Further information is provided in Data Sheet No’s. 13 and 33.

The EMP can draw from the Structure Plan in the following ways:

» Useful background information exists in the assessment of the biotic and abiotic characteristics, based on available data mostly dating from the late 1980’s; » The calculation of the physical carrying capacity of the estuary for boating and water-skiing could be adopted for the EMP provided that the surface area and bathymetry of the water body is not significantly altered; » Recommendations for the zoning of the water body and the development of shoreside recreational facilities will be reviewed and assessed in terms of the recommendations that emerge from the EMP priorities assessment; » Recommendations relating to land use and stewardship arrangements will likewise be reviewed and assessed.

4.8 Zoning schemes

Municipal planning schemes are the instruments used at the most detailed level of planning to manage land use through the specification of preferred and non-preferred activities, density, bulk and set-back lines. The scheme thereby effectively awards development rights to individual parcels of land although, “An existing right does not imply an absolute and unlimited right in terms of, for example, the format and scale of development” (DEA&DP, 2001). These matters are subject to authorisation in terms of applicable legislation, e.g. EIA Regulations.

Prior to the introduction of municipality-wide planning through the Municipal Systems Act (2000), schemes were prepared only for the urban areas and hence were referred to as town planning schemes. Many municipalities, including Overstrand, are still in the process of integrating rural and agricultural areas into their planning schemes. It usually involves planning over a much larger geographic area and also the introduction of new land use zones that were not previously present within the town planning scheme’s domain. In many instances it requires the consolidation of a number of discrete town planning schemes that were prepared by different authorities. In an attempt to resolve the complexities associated with this situation, some municipalities (such as the City of Cape Town) have introduced an ‘overlay’ mechanism which permits fine-grained management guidelines to be applied over areas without alteration to the underlying planning scheme.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 34 The current situation regarding planning schemes is the subject of some debate and contention. Many schemes are considered to be entrenchments of outdated planning philosophies (CNdV Africa, 2005) and, in some parts of the country, areas outside of the town planning schemes are still administered under different legislation (TPI, 2007). In cases like that, land use in agricultural and rural areas is being managed according to policies and guidelines, as opposed to rules and regulations. The number of guideline documents that are identified in the Western Cape Environmental Implementation Plan (DEA&DP, 2002) to support planning and development in non-urban areas appears to validate the preference for this approach in the Province.

In the Western Cape Province, planning schemes are currently prepared, approved and administered in terms of the Land Use Planning Ordinance (1985). DEA&DP have produced a set of Model Scheme Regulations that provide a standardised typology of land use zones. Municipalities may use their discretion in adopting this or expanding it to a more detailed level if appropriate and useful. The zones and associated guidelines that are commonly used for non-urban areas are described in Table 4.

Table 4 Typical non-urban land use zones (source: PN 1048, 1988) Land use zone Primary use Consent use

Agricultural zone I Agriculture Additional dwelling units, farm store, farm stall, intensive feed farming, riding school, nursery, service trade, tourist facilities

Agricultural zone II Agricultural industry Tourist facilities, farm store

Resort zone I Holiday accommodation Tourist facilities, resort shop

Resort zone II Holiday housing Tourist facilities, motel, licensed hotel, resort shop

Open space I Public open space None

Open space II Private open space None

Open space III Nature reserve None

Authority zone* Authority usage None

Special zone Special usage None

Undetermined None None *Authority zone – e.g. Municipality

Further information, for example on the definitions of the uses represented in the table, are provided in Data Sheet No.14. Of particular relevance: » Agriculture zone I is the only land use zone where intensive feed farming is permitted, and it requires authorisation (consent use). » ‘Tourist facilities’, as a consent use, does not include overnight accommodation.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 35 » A building line of 30 metres applies to the street frontage and sides of an land parcel that is zoned Agriculture I or II. » Authorisation of a layout plan by the municipality is required for development of a site zoned Resort I or Resort II. » The municipality may authorise subdivision of an erf where there is no rezoning involved and where it is not agricultural land.

The development of the EMP can draw from and inform the existing and future land use schemes in the study area:

» It should aim to understand and ‘speak’ the same language as the SDF and zoning scheme regulations in respect of land use. The estuary zoning plan which forms part of an EMP should be prepared at a scale that is compatible with the Municipality’s land use zoning scheme so that the two can be integrated. » The implications of the development rights or restrictions conferred on individual land parcels within the study area by the applicable statutory land use zoning scheme and decision-support systems (i.e. the various guidelines for land use management outside of urban areas) require attention in the assessment of the interaction between estuarine and land use systems.

The Integrated Coastal Management Bill (2007) provides for the preparation of coastal zoning schemes in order to give effect to the spatial implications of the coastal protection zone and coastal access land.

The Bill also requires that local municipalities must delineate coastal boundaries (i.e. boundaries of coastal public property, coastal protection zone, access lands and special management areas) in their planning schemes. In particular, municipalities are required to regulate land within the coastal protection zone in a way that gives effect to its purpose (as set out in section 17 – refer Data Sheet No.11). The process of applying the definition of coastal protection zone, as set out in the Bill, in order to derive a spatial representation in any given situation is a fairly complex one and there are, as yet, no guidelines available to support this.

» The EMP will serve as a vehicle for piloting the spatial application of the definition of the coastal protection zone in an estuarine environment; » The EMP will make provision for supporting and assisting the municipality in updating its planning scheme in order to comply with the requirements of the ICM Bill in relation to the delineation of coastal boundaries.

Regulations made in terms of the Nature Conservation Ordinance to regulate the use of inland waters (including estuaries) make specific reference to the Klein River estuary and, by reference to survey beacons on the banks, establish zones for the recreational and other use of the water surface (Figure 6). Some modification to these zones was proposed in the Kleinriviersvlei and Klein River Structure Plan (refer Section 4.7).

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 36 » The zoning of the estuarine water body as established by Proclamation 357 will be reviewed and evaluated in terms of the recommendations that emerge from the EMP priorities assessment;

Figure 6 Existing estuarine use zones on the Klein River (Base map supplied by Overstrand Municipality)

In fulfilling the requirement of the EMP Terms of Reference regarding the preparation of an Estuarine Zoning Plan, attention must be given to the integration of estuarine zoning, i.e. zoning of the water surface for recreational and resource harvesting uses, and the existing uses and land use rights conferred through the municipality’s planning scheme insofar as the town planning or any other scheme may apply within the study area.

» The existing land uses and statutory rights conferred by any existing planning scheme applicable to the study area must be assessed relative to its potential compatibility or conflict with estuarine water surface uses.

4.9 Concluding notes

The Klein River EMP will engage with the planning instruments identified in this section through its attention to the actions highlighted in this assessment.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 37 5 CATCHMENT HYDROLOGY AND RIVER HEALTH

The assessment identifies issues emanating in the catchment that have implications for the Klein River EMP. It was conducted using desktop research and analysis generated by the GIS. Sources included the Green Report (CSIR, 1989), information posted on the Stanford Tourism’s website, documents relating to the Breede Water Management Area as well as information from the draft Klein River State of the Catchment Report (Jacobs and Bruwer, 2002), although only the draft version has been accessed to date. The GIS data sets identified in Section 12 were also used.

The Klein River falls within the Breede River Water Mangement Area (WMA) (Figure 7). Most of the Coastal towns within this WMA are experiencing potable water shortages and are looking for augmentation of supplies (Breede WMA, 2004). These towns, such as Hermanus, experience high fluctuations in seasonal demands and generally increased demands associated with coastal development. Water managers in the Cape Town Metropolitan area are also constantly in search of additional potable water sources via transfer schemes from other catchments.

To the north the catchment is bounded by the Swartberg Mountains near Caledon. The ranges of Klein River, Babylon’s Tower, Shaw’s Mountain and Steenboksberg dominate the central area from west to east. The area between the Swartberg in the north and the centrally situated Klein River range is known as the Rûens and consists mostly of rolling hills landscape which is largely cultivated with wheat, barley and canola.

Figure 7 Breede Water Management Area

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 38 Figure 8 Quaternary Catchments which feed the Klein River estuary

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 39 Figure 9 Extent of Agriculture in the Catchment of the Klein River

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 40 5.1 Hydrology

The topography of the catchment may be categorised in three main zones, namely mountainous fynbos, cultivated rolling hills and aeolean sand dune deposits near the coast. Three quaternary catchments – G40J, G40K and G40L – constitute the catchment area of the Klein River (Figure 8). In total these three catchments drain an area of 98,281 ha (planar area). They extend from the Akkedisberg and Franskraal Se Berge ranges in the east, to the Swartberg range in the north and the Babilonstoringberg and Shaw’s Mountain ranges in the west. The three quaternary catchments are nested within a tertiary catchment (G40) which drains an area of 311,847 ha (planar area) extending westwards to Rooi-Els and Gordon’s Bay, and northwards to Caledon. Other major river systems occurring within this tertiary catchment include the Palmiet and Bot Rivers.

The Klein has its source on the northern slopes of the The water that flows Kleinrivier Mountain range, only 5 km from the mouth, from the southern although the entire river length is approximately 80 km. It is possibly one of the shortest direct distances between source flanks of the and mouth in the world. The two primary tributaries of the Kleinriviersberge, on Klein River are the Hartebees and Steenbok Rivers. From this confluence, which is the beginning of the river named the north side of the Klein, three other tributaries join the Klein before it curves estuary, is high south and then west towards the Klein River Estuary and Atlantic Ocean. The distance from the confluence is quality water that approximately 28km to the Stanford Bridge and 47km to the enters the system sea. From the road bridge (R43) at Stanford, the Klein River meanders for 6 km before it reaches the neck of the lagoon. close to the estuary. The Klein River Lagoon, also referred to as Kleinriviersvlei, is It is crucial to the about 10 kilometers long and just over 2 kilometers at its widest point. ecological functioning of the estuary. The highest mountains in the catchment area of the Klein River are Babylonstoring (1,167m) and Maanschynkop (963m). The mountainous catchment area of the Hartebees River (120 km²) contributes a considerable volume of water to the river system (approximately 23.3%). This flow is of paramount importance to farmers who rely on the Klein River for irrigation farming (refer Figure 9).

The estuary is also supplied with surface flow via a number of water courses which arise along the southern flanks of the Kleinriviersberge, between Wagenboomsdrift (Akkedisbergkloof) and Aasvoëlkop (located in the Vogelgat catchment), on the north side of the estuary itself – a catchment area of approximately 100 km². This source represents a significant portion – 30% – of the Klein River flow, and is crucial to the ecological functioning of the estuary since this high quality water is injected into the system close to the estuary, where it is needed for the ecological functioning of this sensitive ecosystem. The flow distances range from less than 1km to approximately 5km before entering the estuary, in some instances through transformed landscapes and built environments located along the northern bank of the estuary, potentially picking up pollutants and encountering obstacles along the way.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 41 5.2 Geology and soils

The catchment is composed mainly of rocks of the Table Mountain and Bokkeveld Groups interspersed with a few outcrops of Cape Granite, the former group forming the mountainous features and the latter the arable land. The area to the south of the estuary is comprised of coastal sand dunes and aeolianites.

The major soil types within the catchment area are comprised of residual soils (formed by in situ weathering) and soils associated with mountains including a variety of shallow soils. Most of the Kleinrivier drains duplex loams which are acidic and have low nutrient levels. The soils in the mountains consist of highly leached, low nutrient white sands, which are mostly derived from Table Mountain Group quartzites.

5.3 Water quality and quantity

The Table Mountain Group soils produce highly acid water (a minimum pH of 3,5 has been measured), while highly saline water leaches into the river from the Bokkeveld shales. Sediment yield is low, being of the order of 100-150 tonnes per square kilometre per year.

The Mean Annual Precipitation (MAP) for the catchment of the Klein River estuary ranges from 40-800mm with a highly variation Mean Annual Run-off (MAR) with a range from 29.3 x 10 6m 3 to 96 x 10 6m 3 with a mean being taken at 40 x 106m 3.

The following is an edited extract regarding the contribution of sub-catchments to total flows, sourced from the draft Klein River State of the Catchment Report (Jacobs and Bruwer, 2002):

(a) Hartebees River: The Hartebees river was modelled at Vioolskloof and a full record for the site was calculated. The flow at Vioolskloof contributes 23,3% to the total flow at the river mouth according to the natural scenario, and 25,8% for the present day scenario. The flow at Vioolskloof represents approximately a quarter of the total flow from the estuary to the sea – excluding inflow and outflow of sea water at the estuary. b) Rûens-area: The Rûens area, and some mountainous catchments surrounding the Rûens, contributes the difference between the Wagenbooms flow and the Vioolskloof flow. According to the natural scenario and the present day scenario respectively this area, being the largest, contributes only 39,8% (38,9 Mm 3/a) and 34,3% (22,9 Mm 3/a) of the total flow at the estuary mouth. This is due to the low rainfall, high percentage of agricultural activity, and relatively flat topography (compared to the surrounds). (c) Southern Klein River Mountains (includes Vogelgat): The southern Klein River mountains were modelled as two sub-catchments each covering the area from the watershed on the mountain to the river :
stretching from the Akkedisberg kloof at Wagenboomsdrift to Stanford, the sub-catchment is almost 14km in length and has an area of about 50 km 2; the present day runoff is 8 Mm 3/a (160mm);
from Stanford to Aasvoëlkop above Fernkloof Reserve, Hermanus (this sub-catchment also includes Vogelgat), the catchment is 13,5 km in length with an area of about 50 km 2; the present day runoff is 12 Mm 3/a (240mm). Notwithstanding the fact that this is a steep natural mountainous catchment adjacent to the sea and the estuary lake, the calculated runoff from this catchment is higher than initially anticipated. This is encouraging from an ecological point of view.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 42 (d) Strandveld: The Strandveld is the area to the south of the river, and stretches from the Stanford- Gansbaai tar road to the sea. The runoff from this sub-catchment, with an effective area of about 90 km 2, is 4 Mm 3/a (44mm), and is low as was expected. (e) Summary Two sources of relatively good quality water contribute to the flow in the Klein River, the Hartebees River, and numerous small streams from the southern flanks of the Klein River mountains. The contribution of the Hartebees river above Vioolskloof is about 25% of the total present day flow. However, a significant portion of the flow (30% of the total Klein River flow) is generated from the southern flanks of the Klein River Mountains between Wagenboomsdrift and Aasvoëlkop (located in the Vogelgat catchment). As stated above, the latter is crucial to the ecological functioning of the estuary since the water – of high quality – is injected in the system close to the estuary where it is needed.

According to the Green Report (CSIR, 1989) almost the whole river, including its tributaries, is heavily infested with alien wattle species such as Acasia saligna, A. longifolia and A. mearnsii . The presence of these plant species as well as dense stands of the indigenous river sedge Prionium serratum The contribution of (Palmiet) is considered by some to be responsible for limiting riverine stands of the amount of sediment introduced into the estuary even though the catchment is heavily cultivated. If this is indeed vegetation to providing some protection, it may be at risk since farmers are estuarine reported to destroy the riverine vegetation (both alien and indigenous) in order to discourage birds which threaten their sedimentation must crops from nesting there. It is uncertain whether this practice be considered when is continuing and if the risk of sedimentation is thereby increasing. An alternative view, presented in Waldron (1986), planning alien species is that alien vegetation in the river obstructs the flow during removal. high rainfall periods, causing the river to overflow its banks and pick up sediment in adjoining cultivated fields. The contribution of riverine stands of vegetation to estuarine sedimentation must be considered when planning alien species removal.

The Klein River has been identified as a possible source for the transfer of water to the water-stressed Onrus River catchment. The local authority commissioned a State of the Klein River Catchment Report ( Jacobs and Bruwer, 2002). The influence that the possible decrease in river flow would have on the ecologically sensitive Klein River lagoon was hotly debated. Although the report did find that a dam in the upper reaches of the Klein River would have very little influence on the amount of water reaching the lagoon (because of the downstream topography), this remains a contentious issue.

The Breede River CMA proposal notes the following key water resource management and supply issues relevant to the Western Overberg areas of the Breede River WMA: » With the exception of the Palmiet River, the surface water resources of the area have largely been developed; » Water transfers from the Klein River for stock and irrigation activities in the Tesselaarsdal Basin need to be investigated; » Water demand in the coastal resort towns is growing rapidly; » Development of unconventional water resources, such as desalination of seawater, for these towns could provide viable alternative supplies;

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 43 » There is some scope for the further development of groundwater resources; » The aquifer supplying Stanford (die Oog) and surrounds needs to be monitored as a matter of urgency; » Reserve determinations are urgently required to conserve ecologically sensitive estuaries, especially the Bot and Klein Rivers; » Reduction of invasive alien vegetation should be continued; » Development continues in certain areas (e.g. Hermanus) despite limited resources.

The Klein River and its major tributaries are classified through the National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment (Driver et al, 2005) as critically endangered. Within the River Health Programme’s assessment of ecological state of the Overberg rivers, the indices reflect fair to poor (refer Box 2)

Box 2 River health assessment for the Klein and its tributary (After River Health Programme, 2003)

River Health of Steenboksrivier

Mainstem of the Klein, near Stanford

5.4 Limitations and gaps in data

The flow data presented will need versification with current available data, yet to be sourced.
Information on ground water is being gathered in support of licensing for further abstraction but a consolidated assessment for the estuary is required, particularly to provide an understanding of the contributions to base flows and water quality in the system.
Up-to-date information on surface and ground water abstraction is not available.
Information on the impact of invasive alien plants in the catchment is not available.
Water quality monitoring is required, to enable and address point and diffused sources of pollution.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 44 5.5 Areas needing priority attention

The following key priorities have been identified to improve understanding and management of the Klein River catchment and its impact on the long-term functioning of the estuary:
The reserve determination flow requirements for the Klein river and the estuary need to inform all further management actions, land use decisions and potential allocations or uses of water on the catchment. While the “global reserve” may be determined during next year for the Breede River WMA as a whole, an intermediate reserve for the Klein is required. This will need to be built on filling some of the data gaps identified above;
Water allocation planning for Klein catchments, specifically addressing new applications for abstraction of surface and groundwater;
Invasive alien plant management. The EMP should include mechanisms for supporting:

» Riparian corridor set back, management and/rehabilitation for the immediate catchment. In the long-term these will be required for the entire catchment; » Prioritisation of detailed mapping of all wetlands in the catchment. Integration into terrestrial biodiversity conservation planning; » Prioritisation for river monitoring on an ongoing basis; Prioritisation for water abstraction (surface and groundwater) monitoring and control; » Prioritisation of farm-scale planning in priority areas where degradation / erosion could be having a major impact, especially in special or endangered or critically endangered habitats.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 45 6 CHARACTERISATION OF ESTUARINE SYSTEMS

The nature and functioning of estuaries is the result of the complex interaction of a range of physical and biological processes which are described here with reference to the Klein. The ‘edge’ This section refers in conditions and diversity of processes associated with estuaries extent to the result in their status as one of the most biologically productive ecosystems. estuarine water body and related habitats. This characterisation of the Klein River estuary was conducted as It identifies the a desktop study based on available information. The most comprehensive description of the Klein River estuary is found in specific features of Report Number 40: Klein (CSW 16) in the Estuaries of the Cape the system but also series: Part II Synopsis of Available Information on Individual Systems compiled by the CSIR in 1989 (commonly known as the highlights the ‘Green Report’). This document was used as the baseline for the interdependence of all description of the estuary and supplemented by more recent investigations which are cited individually. elements including the biotic (fauna and Based upon the 1: 50 000 topographic map 3419AD Stanford, the Green Report quotes Duvenage as calculating that the Klein River flora) and abiotic estuary was approximately 10km long and 2km across at its widest processes – flow, point with a total area of 1280ha and a water area of 918ha. At this stage the spatial definition of the Klein River estuary is sediment unknown and so the accuracy of this estimate cannot be transportation, commented upon. salinity etcetera. The Klein River estuary is classified by Whitfield (2000) as a temporarily closed estuary and by Turpie (2004) as an estuarine lake.

6.1 Sediment transportation

The sediment on the floor of an estuary can be supplied from four potential sources:
marine sands driven into the estuary through the open mouth through tidal action,
sands and silts derived in the catchment and transported to the estuary by the river that feeds the estuary,
sands and muds washed off the floodplain adjacent to the estuary through flood action and
wind-blown sand from adjacent beaches and dunefields.

Of the four potential sources, only the marine, riverine and floodplain derived sources are considered significant in the Klein River estuary (Waldron, 1986). The lack of contribution from wind-blown sands is due to the artificial stabilisation of the dunes to the south-east of the estuary mouth.

Deposition and removal of the sediments in the estuary are very important processes and there is a continual cycle of accumulation and erosion, the equilibrium of which informs the character of the particular estuary. Sediment accumulates at the mouth of the estuary through the action of wind and waves which jointly result in the strengthening and heightening of the berm across the mouth. Some of this sediment is pushed over the top of the berm into the estuary raising the floor of the estuary in the process. Sediment transported down-stream by

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 46 the river is also deposited in the estuary, further raising the floor of the estuary. However, simultaneous influx of river water from the catchment also raises the water level which can result in the inundation of the floodplains on either side of the estuary. The water level would continue to rise until the berm at the mouth could no longer contain the volume and height of water column at which point the berm would breach and the estuarine water flush out to the sea. In this process the sediments accumulated in the estuary would be scoured and released into the nearshore marine environment providing nutrients and allowing any juvenile animals in the estuary to be released into the sea to mature.

6.2 Salinity

Another physical process which has significant implications to the plants and animals which inhabit estuaries is the mixing of saline marine and fresh river water. This frequently results in a salinity gradient both along the estuary decreasing further upstream and vertically as sea water is more dense. The gradients will change with season and often with great speed but the average range in salinity occurring at any one location will determine what plant species will be able to survive and this then, influences the distribution of habitats around the estuary. Anecdotal information indicates that the salinity intrusion in the Klein River extends at least as far as the R43 bridge at Stanford ( pers.comm. L.van Niekerk).

6.3 Bathymetry

It appears that the last bathymetric survey was conducted by the CSIR in 1997 and that no further surveys have taken place. Thus it is uncertain whether there has been a net decrease or increase in the depth of the estuary. Similarly it is not possible to determine whether there has been a build-up or reduction of sediment. This has implications for the setting of objectives in the management plan and is seen as a significant gap in the currently available information.

It is, however noted in the Green Report that sedimentation in the mouth area of the Klein River estuary has been increasing over the last few decades and is attributed primarily to the influx of marine sediments due to frequent artificial breaching at very low estuarine water levels and at inappropriate times in the hydrological cycle. The lack of formal sediment surveys of the estuarine mouth since the production of the Green Reports has, to some extent been alleviated by the production of two reports by the CSIR on artificial breaching of the mouth in 1996 and 1997 (CSIR, 1997 and 1998). However no follow- up surveys have been conducted since that time.

6.4 Mouth management interventions

The Klein is described in the Green Report (CSIR, 1989) as a temperate, temporarily closed estuary. Under normal circumstances, the inundation of the floodplains would be beneficial providing estuarine sediments and nutrients to the adjacent areas. In fact the wetlands to the south of the Klein River estuary indicate that this area is accustomed to being inundated. However, human habitation along the banks of the estuary has meant that development is threatened by high

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 47 water levels resulting in artificial breaching. Historically this was accomplished at inopportune times and places along the berm resulting in inadequate scouring and abnormal sediment accumulation.

Bathymetric surveys have been conducted periodically on the Klein River estuary, fuelled primarily by the debate over a breaching policy and the need to plan any artificial breaching to optimise flushing of the system.

Following two surveys conducted by the CSIR in 1996 and 1997, a breaching policy was drawn up and formally adopted by the Hermanus Municipality to govern when, where and how the mouth of the Klein could be artificially breached. This policy is still in force to date but as already noted there has been no study to assess the long-term consequences of the implementation of the policy on the biophysical environment of the Klein River estuary.

6.5 Water quality

In the last nutrient survey conducted on the Klein in 1989 by the University of Cape Town (King et al, 1989) and the CSIR (CSIR, 1989a), the condition of the estuarine water was considered to be reasonable with little indication of nutrient enrichment from pollutant sources such as the municipal landfill adjacent to the Prawn Flats or other sources. This survey has not been officially followed up since then although it is understood that Dr V Hamilton-Attwell has been collecting water samples for faecal coliform analysis although attempts to access the results have, as yet, been unsuccessful.

The human population in the catchment and along the river banks has increased since 1989 and even at that time the conversion of waterfront properties to mains sewage disposal rather than septic tank was identified as an urgent need. It is also understood that there are small informal settlements in the catchment that present a potential threat of pollution into the river and thence the estuary. There is thus an urgent need for a comprehensive water quality survey of the system as part of the characterisation of the current status.

6.6 Habitats

Since the vegetation survey reported in the Green Report of 1989, Bornman has mapped the extent of vegetation in the Klein River estuary (Figure 10) (Turpie and Clark, 2007). From this map, a number of different habitats can be discerned: » beach » open water » Phragmites reeds » Reeds and sedges » Rocky banks » Supratidal saltmarsh » Submerged vegetation » Sand banks » Saltpan » Salicornia and Sarcocornia

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 48 Figure 10 Estuarine habitats (compiled using data from Bornman, 2007 and Turpie and Clark, 2007)

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 49 Each of these habitat types supports its own assemblage of plant and animal species and when the extent of each habitat type is mapped in an estuary with a known morphology it can be used as an indication of the health of the estuary or at least the degree and extent of disturbance of the natural environment. Breen and McKenzie (2001) however defined six plant communities in estuaries of which five are important in temperate estuaries such as the Klein.

An explanation of the linkages between the plant communities described by Breen and McKenzie (2001), and the habitat types mapped by Bornman in 2007, follows.

Small algae (microalgae) are seldom seen by the naked eye but large concentrations on mud or sand can give surfaces a red or brown hue. Large populations in the water column greatly restrict light penetration and water appears green, brown or red. Growth responds quickly to availability of nutrients, and microalgae in the water column (phytoplankton) are good indicators of nutrient status and pollution. Phytoplankton produce oxygen during photosynthesis but, when dense populations start to die, decay can consume so much oxygen that fish and other organisms are killed.
Large algae (macroalgae) are present in almost all estuaries and comprise two main groups, those with a thread-like (filamentous) form and those that are firmly attached and have a leafy (thalloid) form. Seaweed varieties are more common than fresh water algae and occur mainly in the lower reaches where salinities are highest. Some filamentous algae occur in the lower and middle reaches where dense growths can smother rooted plants. The micro-and large algae can occur in open water, Phragmites stands, in amongst the reeds and sedges in submerged rocky banks, amid the submerged vegetation and even in the supra-tidal and intertidal salt marshes.
Submerged vegetation (macrophytes): These rooted plants have stems and leaves, which may reach the water surface. Some species (e.g. Zostera or eelgrass) can survive desiccation during exposure at low tides and, whilst able to survive strong tidal currents, whole beds can be washed out during floods. In the Klein both Zostera Capensis and Ruppia maritima occur with Ruppia favouring the shallower and Zostera the deeper waters. These plants provide refuge as well as food source for animal species when alive and in turn when dead provide organic matter which is broken down to release nutrients into the water column by bacteria and fungi. Eelgrass beds are widespread in the lower reaches of larger estuaries but they are replaced by other species in the upper reaches where salinities are lower and water currents less strong. Submerged macrophyte beds are important habitats for other organisms living in estuaries (e.g. fish).
Salt marshes develop at high elevations (e.g. flood plains) in estuaries and are more prevalent in the lower and middle reaches. Salt marshes are flooded daily (at high tide) or less frequently, but the soil is always saline. Few species can tolerate these conditions and species diversity is low. One or two species dominate and may include grasses (e.g. cord grass) and fleshy plants (e.g. soutbossie), some with jointed stems (e.g. glassworts or Salicornia and Sarcocornia ). Salt marshes are important habitats. They provide protection for certain invertebrates (eg. crabs) and a source of organic litter which sustains many species. The habitats of supratidal vegetation, saltpan and Salicornia and Sarcocornia are covered by this vegetation classification.
The presence of reeds and sedges in estuaries usually indicates fresh or brak (slightly saline) water conditions. Reeds and sedges occur extensively in the middle and upper reaches, while the common reed may extend into the lower reaches especially in temporarily closed systems. Droughts or periods of high salinity can cause die-back but they recover quickly once the floods have occurred freshening the water and raising the water level.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 50 It is not possible to compare the vegetation surveys conducted by the CSIR and Bornman since the two authors used different habitat groupings and so no conclusions can be drawn as to whether habitats are increasing or shrinking over time. However, using the calculated areas of the habitats mapped by Bornman and comparing them with the targets for conservation developed by Turpie and Clark (2007) the relative importance of the Klein can be seen. In the table below, it was uncertain whether the saltpans were included in the Turpie and Clark (2007) habitat of supratidal salt marsh and also whether the Phragmites stands were included in This assessment reeds and sedges. Thus the areas covered by these habitats in the Klein River estuary were not included in the serves to clarify and calculations. Further clarification will be sought. highlight the The uncertainties notwithstanding it can be seen that the Klein conservation contains approximately 16% of all submerged vegetation in importance of the temperate estuaries. Thus its conservation importance is highlighted for that feature alone. Furthermore, the area Klein estuary in terms covered by submerged vegetation comprises approximately of national priorities 40% of the overall conservation targets for temperate estuaries with the open water comprising 22%, supratidal salt marsh comprising 13% and sand banks covering 12% of conservation targets.

Table 5 The contribution of estuarine habitats in the Klein to national conservation targets In temperate estuaries

Area of Area of Estimated habitat in habitat in the total the Klein Klein as % of % of habitat Targets for as % of total Total area in conservation total conservation Type Area (ha) Area SA (ha) habitat target

Bare ground 5.72 0.42 Not Nil N/A N/A recorded

Open water up to Stanford 704.10 52.29 10516 3154.80 6.70 22.32 Bridge

Phragmites beds 57.58 4.28 Unsure: to be confirmed

Reeds and sedges 40.08 2.98 2413 482.60 1.66 8.31

Rocky banks 4.33 0.32 206 No targets N/A N/A set

Salicornia and Sarcocornia 8.45 0.63 1829 731.60 0.46 1.16

Saltpan 1.55 0.12 Unsure to be confirmed

Sand banks 159.17 11.82 3228 1291.2 4.93 12.33

Submerged vegetation 204.49 15.19 1289 515.6 15.86 39.66

Supratidal saltmarsh 161.03 11.96 3997 1199.1 4.03 13.43

Total area measured 1,346.50 100.00

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 51 6.7 Estuarine Health

The following edited extract from Breen and McKenzie (2001) illustrate that the numbers and type of animals living in the various habitats in an estuary can be used as an indication of its current state.

Animals differ from plants in that they are able to move and many actively seek favourable conditions in estuaries. Salinity, type of substratum (rock, sand, mud), and presence of other species (e.g. submerged plants) influences the distribution and abundance of individual species. Generally the diversity of marine species decline up the estuary and the diversity of fresh water species decline towards the mouth. There are few truly estuarine species and estuaries have lower species diversity, but higher abundance, than adjacent fresh water and marine systems. Whilst bacteria and fungi play an important role in estuaries they will not be discussed here. Of the remaining animals they can be broadly divided into two groups: invertebrates (animals without backbones) and vertebrates (or those that do have backbones).

Invertebrates include benthic species, live on (e.g. crown crab and sand shrimp) or in the sediment (e.g. bloodworm and sand prawn). Others, known as nektonic species, swim actively in the water column (e.g. swimming prawn). Benthic species aerate and release nutrients from sediments through burrowing and water pumping. Invertebrates are very important processors of living and dead plant material, making energy and nutrients available to other species as well as being prey species in their own right.

Vertebrates include fishes, which can be divided into five main groups depending on their origin, biological adaptation to estuarine conditions and their degree of dependence on estuaries for survival. The dominant group are marine species that breed at sea and whose juveniles show varying degrees of dependence on estuaries as nursery areas. The second most important group comprises truly estuarine species which breed within estuaries and spend all or most of their lives within these systems. The third group comprises freshwater species for which the degree of penetration into estuaries is determined by salinity tolerance. The fourth group comprises marine species, which `stray' into estuaries, usually occurring in the lower reaches, and are not dependent on estuaries. The final group comprises the anguillid eels, which use estuaries as a conduit between the sea and river. The larval eels swim through estuaries during their upstream migration, finally returning along the same path on their way to the marine environment where spawning occurs. Estuaries are important nursery areas for juvenile marine fish. Diet varies among species. Some feed directly on plant material (e.g. stumpnose) others (e.g. mullet) feed on fine living and dead particulate material and some (e.g. grunter and kob) are carnivorous feeding on other animal species. Diet can change as species mature.

Vertebrates also include birds which take advantage of the variety of food resources and habitats to be found in estuaries. Waders, waterfowl, kingfishers, cormorants, gulls, terns, egrets and herons may be found in and around estuaries. Birds are often the conspicuous animals on the tidal flats, moving from one area to another as conditions (i.e. tide) change. Three major groups may be recognised on the basis of diet; those feeding primarily on vegetation (e.g. redknobbed coot), those feeding mainly on invertebrates (e.g. greenshank) and those that feed primarily on fish (e.g. fish eagle and cormorant).

The last macro-invertebrate survey took place in 1952 and since then only sporadic fish and bird surveys have taken place. Harrison et al (2000) undertook rapid sampling of the fish populations in the Klein River estuary in 2000 as part of a rapid assessment of South African estuaries and over the years Mr S.Lamberth of MCM has been collecting data on fish populations in the Klein which is not published as yet. The Hermanus Bird Club is working together with BirdLife Overberg towards having the estuary declared an Important Bird Area (IBA) and with support from the Avian Demography Unit (ADU) of UCT have been monitoring waterbirds in the area since 2001.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 52 Even if current, comprehensive data on the flora and fauna of the Klein River estuary were available, this would not necessarily give an indication of whether the estuary was healthy or not. (Data Sheet No.34). Various studies have attempted to develop procedures for determining estuarine health and to date it would appear that the use of the Resource Directed Measures (RDM) approach is the most comprehensive and will be used most widely. Turpie and Clark (2007) using various techniques determined that the Klein was the fifth most important temperate estuary in South Africa ranking third in terms of tourism value. As a result of a survey by Whitfield (2000) and the Regional Management Workshop on C.A.P.E. Estuaries Programme held on 27 and 28 September 2005, the consensus was that the Klein River estuary was in good condition but required rehabilitation in terms of water quality (pollution), water quantity, alien clearing and mouth management. Details of the nature of the problems and the desired outcomes were not documented. Based upon the analysis contained in the report compiled by Turpie and Clark on the health of temperate estuaries in South Africa (Turpie and Clark, 2007), siltation was not regarded as a significant concern and illegal subsistence fishing was not mentioned at all although the project team has unconfirmed reports that this is becoming a severe problem (discussed in Section 9.7).

Thus there is a statement about the need for change and rehabilitation in the Klein River estuary but it does not, however provide sufficient details on what must change and in which direction. There is a need for a more comprehensive review of the health of the estuary in order that a desired future state can be postulated. To date the most comprehensive approach to define the health or status of an estuary is through the determination of an ecological reserve. This approach has been developed under the auspices of the National Department of Water Affairs and Forestry and has gained acceptance from the scientific community with use.

Table 6 shows the data requirements for an intermediate and comprehensive reserve determination of the ecological reserve of the Klein River estuary and which data is currently available. It appears likely that although the Klein River estuary would require an Intermediate Reserve Determination (Data Sheet No.34) only a rapid assessment would be possible at this stage. However, for reference purposes the requirements for a comprehensive assessment are included. The right hand column indicates the availability of the data required for the determination, providing an indication of what will be required in terms of survey and monitoring requirements in the Klein River EMP.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 53 Table 6 Review of data required and available for a reserve determination for the Klein River Estuary (adapted from DWAF, 2004) Intermediate level Comprehensive level Comment REQUIREMENTS ON ABIOTIC COMPONENTS

Simulated monthly runoff data (at the head of the estuary) for present state, reference Not available condition, as well as selected future run-off scenarios over a 50 to 70 year period

Simulated flood hydrographs for present state, reference conditions and future runoff scenarios: 1:1, 1:2, 1:5 floods (influencing aspects such as flood plain inundation) 1:20, 1:50, 1:100, 1:200 year floods (influencing sediment dynamics)

Series of cross-section profiles (collected at about 500 to 1000 m intervals) taken every 3 Last survey years to quantify the sediment deposition rate in an estuary . conducted 1997 but Series of sediment core samples for the details of analysis of particle size distribution (PSD) sediment and origin (i.e. using microscopic distribution observations) taken every 3 years along the were not length of an estuary (200 m to 2 km analysed and intervals). so is considered Set of cross-section profiles and a set of inadequate for sediment grab samples for analysis of this type of particle size distribution (PSD) and origin assessment (i.e. using microscopic observations), need to be taken immediately after a major flood.

Aerial photographs of estuary (earliest available year as well as most recent) Uncertain – will need to determine availability and availability of SPOT aerial photographs

Nearshore wave data records (only if available) Uncertain – need to check up

Measured river inflow data (gauging Measured river inflow data (gauging Not available stations) at the head of the estuary over a 5- stations) at the head of the estuary over a 5- year period 15 year period

Continuous water level recordings near Continuous water level recordings near Not available mouth of the estuary over a 5-year period mouth of the estuary over a 5-15 year period

Water level recordings at about 5 locations along the length of the estuary over a spring Last survey and a neap tidal cycle (i.e. at least a 14 day period). conducted 1997

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 54 Intermediate level Comprehensive level Comment

Longitudinal salinity and temperature Longitudinal salinity and temperature profiles Not available profiles (in situ) taken on a spring high and (in situ) collected over a spring and neap low tide at: tide during high and low tide at:  end of low flow season (i.e. period of  end of low flow season (i.e. period of maximum seawater intrusion) maximum seawater intrusion)  peak of high flow season (i.e. period of  peak of high flow season (i.e. period of maximum flushing by river water) maximum flushing by river water)

Water quality measurements (i.e. system Water quality measurements (i.e. sys tem Last survey variables, and nutrients) taken along the variables, and nutrients) taken along the 1989 length of the estuary (surface and bottom length of the estuary (surface and bottom samples) on a spring high tide at: samples) on a spring and neap high tide at:  end of low flow season  end of low flow season  peak of high flow season  peak of high flow season

Measurements of organic content and toxic substances (e.g. trace metals and Not available hydrocarbons) in sediments along length of the estuary

Water quality (e.g. system variables, nutrients and toxic substances) measurements on Last survey river water entering at the head of the estuary 1989

Water quality (e.g. system variables, nutrients and toxic substances) measurements of Not available nearshore seawater REQUIREMENTS ON MICROALGAE

Chlorophyll-a measurements taken at 5 stations (at least) at the surface, 0.5 m and 1 m Last survey depths thereafter. Cell counts of dominant phytoplankton groups i.e. flagellates, 1989 dinoflagellates, diatoms and blue-green algae. Measurements should be taken coinciding with typically high and low flow conditions.

Intertidal and subtidal benthic chlorophyll-a measurements taken at 5 stations. Epipelic diatoms need to be collected for identification. Measurements should be taken coinciding with a typical high and low flow condition (in temporarily closed estuaries measurements must include open as well as closed mouth conditions).

Simultaneous measurements of flow, light, salinity, temperature, nutrients and substrate type (for benthic microalgae) need to be taken at the sampling stations during both the phytoplankton and benthic microalgal surveys. REQUIREMENTS ON MACROPHYTES

 Aerial photographs of the estuary (ideally 1:5000 scale) reflecting the 1:10 000 orthophotos available at present state, as well as the reference condition (if available). Surveys and Mapping in Mowbray.  Available orthophoto maps SPOT satellite imagery is available for the Klein.

Number of plant community types, identification and total number of Fine scale mapping completed for macrophyte species, number of rare or endangered species or those terrestrial environmental by with limited populations documented during a field visit. CapeNature and estuarine habitats mapped by T. Bornman (2007)

 Permanent transects (a fixed monitoring station that can be used to measure change in Not available vegetation in response to changes in salinity and inundation patterns):  Measurements of percentage plant cover along an elevation gradient  Measurements of salinity, water level, sediment moisture content and turbidity

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 55 Intermediate level Comprehensive level Comment REQUIREMENTS ON INVERTEBRATES

Derive preliminary sediment map of the Compile a detailed sediment distribution CSIT in 1997 estuary. map of the estuary. Obtain a detailed but incomplete Obtain a preliminary determination of the determination of the extent and distribution as levels of extent and distribution of shallows and of shallows and tidally exposed substrates. sediment only tidally exposed substrates. were mapped. During each survey, collect sediment samples for analysis of grain size and organic content at the six benthic sites.

During each survey determine the longitudinal distribution of salinity, as well as other system variables (e.g. temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen and turbidity) at each of the six benthic sampling sites

During a spring tide (preferably for both low Collect a set of six benthic samples each Last survey of flow and high flow conditions), collect a set consisting of five grabs. Collect two each invertebrate of six benthic samples each consisting of from sand, mud and interface substrates. If conducted by five grabs. Collect two each from sand, possible, spread sites for each between Scott in 1952 mud and interface substrates. If possible, upper and lower reaches of the estuary. One and the last spread sites for each between upper and mud sample should be in an organically rich rapid fish lower reaches of the estuary. One mud area. Species should be identified to the survey was sample should be in an organically rich lowest taxon possible and densities conducted by area. Species should be identified to the (animal/m 2) must also be determined. Harrison in lowest taxon possible and densities Seasonal (i.e. quarterly) data sets for at least 2000. Data (animal/m 2) must also be determined. one year are required, preferably collected at inadequate for spring tides. characterisation of current During a spring tide (preferably at both low Collect two sets of beam trawl samples (i.e. status. and high water and for both low flow and over mud and sand). Lay two sets of five, high flow conditions), collect two sets of baited prawn/crab traps overnight, one each beam trawl samples (i.e. over mud and in the upper and lower reaches of the sand). Lay two sets of five, baited estuary. Species should be identified to the prawn/crab traps overnight, one each in the lowest taxon possible and densities upper and lower reaches of the estuary. (animal/m 2) must also be determined. Survey Species should be identified to the lowest as much shoreline as possible for signs of taxon possible and densities (animal.m -2) crabs and prawns and record observations. must also be determined. Samples should Seasonal (i.e. quarterly) data sets for at least be collected every second week under low one year are required, preferably collected at and high flow conditions for at least two spring tides. months each (i.e. five sampling sessions under the two flow scenarios). Survey as much shoreline for signs of crabs and prawns and record observations.

During spring tides (preferably at both low Collect three zooplankton samples, at night, and high water and for both low flow and one each from the upper, middle and lower high flow conditions), collect three samples, reaches of the estuary. Seasonal (i.e. at night, one each from the upper, middle quarterly) data sets for at least one year are and lower reaches of the estuary for required, preferably collected at spring tides. zooplankton. Samples should be collected every second week under low and high flow conditions for at least two months each (i.e. five sampling sessions under the two flow scenarios)

Additional trip(s) may be required to gather data on the occurrence/recruitment and emigration of key species such as Varuna litterata and Upogebia which require a connection to the marine environment at specific times of the year.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 56 Intermediate level Comprehensive level Comment REQUIREMENTS ON FISH

In a small estuary (<5km) collect at In a small estuary (<5km) collect at minimum Last survey minimum three sets of samples from the three sets of samples from the lower, middle conducted by lower, middle and upper reaches of the and upper reaches of the estuary. The Harrison 2000 estuary. The samples should be samples should be representative of the – this was a representative of the different estuarine different estuarine habitat types, e.g. Zostera rapid survey habitat types, e.g. Zostera beds, prawn beds, prawn beds, sand flats. At least one of only and is not beds, sand flats. At least one of the sample the sample sets need to be in the 0 to 10 ppt considered sets need to be in the 0 to 10 ppt reach of reach of the estuary. Sampling should be adequate for the estuary. Sampling should be assessment representative of small fish (seine nets) and representative of small fish (seine nets) purposes large fish (gill nets). and large fish (gill nets).

In a larger estuary (>5km) sampling can In a larger estuary (>5km) sampling can either be at fixed intervals (every 2km) or either be at fixed intervals (every 2km) or have the upper, middle and lower reaches have the upper, middle and lower reaches subdivided into at least a further three subdivided into at least a further three sections each. The samples should be sections each. The samples should be representative of the different estuarine representative of the different estuarine habitat types, e.g. Zostera beds, prawn habitat types, e.g. Zostera beds, prawn beds, beds, sand flats. At least one of the sample sand flats. At least one of the sample sets sets should be in the 0 to 1 ppt reach of the should be in the 0 to 1 ppt reach of the system. Sampling should be representative system. Sampling should be representative of small fish (seine nets) and large fish (gill of small fish (seine nets) and large fish (gill nets). nets).

Sampling should be done during both the Sampling should be done in all four seasons low and the high flow season for the full for the full extent of the system (as far as extent of the system (as far as tidal tidal variation) to allow for predictive variation) to allow for predictive capabilities. capabilities. REQUIREMENTS ON BIRDS

During a summer spring tide, undertake Undertake one full count of all water International one full count of all water-associated birds, associated birds, covering as much of the Co-ordinated covering as much of the estuarine area as estuarine area as possible. All birds should Waterbird possible. All birds should be identified to be identified to species level and the total Avifauna Count species level and the total number of each number of each counted. (CWAC) data counted. available from Monthly data sets for at least one year are Hermanus Bird required. If this is not possible, a minimum of Club / UCT four summer months and one winter month Avian will be required (decisions on the extent of Demography effort required will depend largely on the Unit. Monthly size of the estuary, extent of shallows counting began present, as well as extent of tidally exposed in 2001, more areas). recently done quarterly, in Jan, Apr, Jul, and Oct.

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 57 6.8 Limitations and gaps in the data

The analysis provided by Table 6 demonstrates that, in order to define a desired end state, we need more current information on:

» water quality and quantity – specific challenges lie in understanding the relative inputs from groundwater and surface water, including the understanding of the relative qualities associated with soil and geology of contributing catchments. » pollutant concentrations and sources, » extent of alien invasion and » bathymetric and sedimentological surveys of the mouth.

This information will enable a determination of the current state of the estuary, following which the optimal state can be described and management actions can be defined.

6.9 Areas needing priority attention

It is difficult to define specific priority actions or data requirements since the determination of the ecological reserve for the Klein requires a complete suite of data in order to be effective. However, if funds limit the acquisition of all the data required for a determination, priority should be awarded to the minimum requirement of obtaining data on river flow, bathymetry and sediment load. From this a number of hypotheses can be erected which can then be tested through adaptive management.

Given the paucity of current information on the Klein River estuary, it is appropriate that adaptive management and associated monitoring is employed as the strategy for the Klein River EMP (Discussed in Section 2.5 and Data Sheet No.35)

ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE KLEIN RIVER, OVERBERG DISTRICT, WESTERN CAPE 58