Klein River Estuarine Management Plan
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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.....................................................................................................