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Black River Corridor: Visions for Restoration and Recreational Use

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Black River Corridor: Visions for Restoration and Recreational Use Black River Corridor: Visions for Restoration and Recreational Use Cape Town, South Africa 15 December, 2011 Table of Contents Preface 3 The State of the River: an Overview 4 Revitalizing Urban Rivers: the Background 7 The First Step: Non-motorized Transportation Pathway 9 Future Opportunities 15 What Now? Conclusions and Recommendations 17 References 19 1 2 Special thanks to Juan Nomdo, Crispin Barrett, and Clive James from the City of The Black River Cape Town’s Department of En- vironmental Management, which sponsored the project. They Pathway Book: worked closely with the authors of this pathway book: Michael A Preface Della Donna, James Sareault, Katrina Boynton, and Kiara Grav- el. All are American university The goal of this project was to continue with a multi-phase revi- students from Worcester Poly- aid the City of Cape Town in cre- talization project for the Black technic Institute completing an ating a vision for park and recre- River Corridor. Interactive Qualifying Project at This project was made possible by the City of Cape Town ational spaces throughout the their university’s Cape Town Pro- The Black River is a polluted Black River Corridor to improve ject Centre. Also special thanks and Worcester Polytechnic Institute and neglected waterway, yet the the socioeconomic potential of to the advisors of the team Scott corridor also has a lot of worth- the river. This pathway book pre- Jiusto and Steven Taylor who while attributes already such as sents ideas and recommenda- were instrumental to the success the location and the presence of tions on the future of the Black of the project. desire lines. Since people are River. It also strings together the using the corridor despite the many different visions of scat- river’s condition, it justifies estab- tered stakeholders and interest lishing a pathway to promote the groups in hopes that a collective potential in this area. Case stud- effort on the river will form. To ies from around the world exem- fulfill these visions, a pathway is plify the plausibility of restoring a the primary goal. A pathway river in poor condition by first along the Black River will bring implementing a pathway. The awareness to the public on the present river conditions are ex- state of the river and generate plored to understand obstacles community involvement for and opportunities in revitalizing groundwork restoration efforts. the corridor. To preserve the The route of the path and poten- continuity of the path, ideas to tial economic opportunities within overcome certain barriers are these visions are discussed to also included. provide recommendations for an The project team and sponsors on the Black River. From left to right, interdepartmental task force to Kiara Gravel, James Sareault, Mike Della Donna, Crispin Barrett, 3 ed waste. Consequently, some sents a variety of opportunities by stadiums, golf courses, and sections of this catchment are for uses of the river. private businesses that can all highly polluted. The Black River is one such section. Despite its The State of the River: uncleanliness, however, the river holds great potential for the community. The Black River is Although it is a very short An Overview river, the Black River flows currently a detriment to through a wide range of Cape Town communities. The waters the region when it could of the Black River flow through Rivers are natural water- er Salt River catchment system, the affluent Southern Suburbs, be an asset. ways that run through cities all which drains water from both the low-income areas in the across the world. They are of- Table Mountain and the Cape Cape Flats, and the industrial- ten accompanied with econom- Flats into Table Bay. As a river ized areas in the eastern City Additionally, there is a lot of contribute to the success of the ic developments such as facto- system with many contributors, Bowl and Northern Suburbs. potential to develop the area in area. A developing urban park ries and plants which, while the Salt River catchment has The variety of neighbourhoods connection with existing city area, called the Two Rivers creating jobs, also pollute the served as an outlet for unwant- that the river flows through pre- assets. There are several near- Urban Park, can serve as a water sources. As a result, recreational outlet for nearby many urban river restoration residents. The Black River and efforts have evolved in a post- the surrounding river corridor industrial world. Communities can also be used to connect have realized the consequenc- people who have traditionally es of neglecting and abusing been separated. All of these rivers. Sites that could be flour- factors can combine to help ishing, inviting areas have been make the Black River corridor a devalued, and the need for better place for the people of change has arisen. Recogniz- Cape Town, but this will not ing such efforts for change, this happen without the effort to project is initiated to understand improve the area. Rehabilitat- the communal relationships and ing the Black River will be an powerful efforts from past river integral part of the success of restoration examples to then any plan to advance the com- create a feasible, sociable area munities around the river. Due benefiting multiple groups. to high levels of pollution, how- One particular waterway ripe ever, the Black River can hardly for restoration is Black River. be utilized by anyone in its cur- Located in Cape Town, West- rent state. ern Cape, South Africa, the Black River is part of the great- Map of the Salt River catchment (Purple) with the Black River highlighted (Yellow) 4 Two Rivers the area and encourage sustain- The Pollution pollution are evident. Litter is and not suitable for human con- able development. This opens scattered along the banks and tact. The levels of faecal coli- In its present state, the refuse flows down the river. form create a serious health Urban Park the area up for recreational ac- Black River is a river of prob- Invisible to the naked eye, risk to anyone who comes into Already, the City of Cape Town tivities, cultural and heritage ap- lems. Decimated by many types chemical contamination flows contact with the river. Other is working with the Two Rivers preciation, and environmental of pollution, the river is unusa- through the waters for its entire pollutants such as E. coli also Urban Park Committee, a local prosperity. TRUP extends from ble by the communities around length. Additionally, environ- degrade the water quality in the NGO, to develop Two Rivers the confluence of the Black and it. Even small amounts of direct mental pollution, which comes river. The exact source of this Urban Park, or TRUP. TRUP is Liesbeek Rivers in the north and contact with the river can cause in the form of invasive plant pollution is very difficult to track an area of land that stretches the N2 /M5 interchange in the serious health problems. As a species, is overwhelming the down, but we can be sure that between the banks of the Black south and contains all of the result, the river is a detriment to local ecosystem and creating a the vast majority of the toxins River and the Liesbeek River land between the banks of these the region when it could be an myriad of problems. Together, originate in the Elsieskraal and and is being used to create a two rivers. ("Two Rivers Urban asset. these troubles harm the people Vygekraal rivers. A narrower multipurpose park. The develop- Park Contextual Framework and The Black River’s problems and the environment around the section of the Black River runs ment of this urban park aims to Phase 1 Environmental Man- begin with the effluence in the river mostly through affluent suburbs enhance the natural potential of agement Plan") river. From just looking at the In its present state, the wa- to meet Elsieskraal and river, vast amounts of physical ters of the Black River are toxic Vygekraal and form the larger The Black River hasn’t al- Associates, 2002). This meth- ways been in the harsh condi- od disrupts local ecosystems tion that it is in today. It was an but prevents the weather from important source of water for destroying the area’s infrastruc- herd animals, and remained ture. Because of this and pollu- mostly unchanged through the tants from further upstream, the mid-20th century. With the con- river has declined in health until struction of the Black River it reached its current condition. Parkway and canalization of the Despite canalization of the riv- river to prevent flooding, the er, the river can overflow its path of the Black River that we banks during the heavy rains of know today was created. The winter. As the seasons change, Black River is a mostly human- however, the rains dissipate engineered river; its current and the flow of water through course is caused by dredging the Black River reduces. The that was intended to prevent water depth becomes extremely serious flooding. Historically, it shallow during the dryer sum- would have looked like a series mer months, only reaching of low lying wetlands that would roughly 30 cm in height. This flood together during winter. In very dynamic water height sce- 1943, the City of Cape Town nario poses many problems for took preventative measures to traditional aquatic navigation, control the flooding by canaliz- and limits the ability of people ing most of the river (Aikman to traverse the black river. Maps indicating the river health of the Salt River catchment 5 can have negative impacts on or missed, it will return the fol- the ecosystem of the river.
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