ECOLOGICAL AND SURFACE HYDROLOGY ASSESSMENT: BASIC ASSESSMENT PROPOSED MOEDING SOLAR PV FACILITY, VRYBURG, NORTH-WEST PROVINCE November 2018 Prepared by: NKURENKURU ECOLOGY & BIODIVERSITY (PTY) LTD. Gerhard Botha (Pri Sci Nat: Ecology & Botany) PO Box 12500, Brandhof, 9324 Cell: 084 2073454 Email: [email protected] MOEDING SOLAR PV FACILITY, NORTH WEST PROVINCE: ECOLOGY & SURFACE HYDROLOGY ASSESSMENT November 2018 TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration of Consultant’s Independence ..................................................... v 1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 1 1.1 Applicant ...................................................................................... 1 1.2 Project .......................................................................................... 1 1.3 Proposed Activity ........................................................................... 1 1.4 Terms of reference ......................................................................... 2 1.5 Conditions of this report ................................................................. 2 1.6 Relevant legislation ........................................................................ 2 2 Methodology ........................................................................................ 4 2.1 Ecology (Terrestrial Fauna and Flora): Data scouring and review.......... 4 2.2 Ecology (Terrestrial Fauna and Flora): Methods followed for in-field data sampling and interpretation ...................................................................... 5 2.3 Hydrology (Wetlands and Watercourses): Data scouring and review ..... 5 2.4 Hydrology (Wetlands and Watercourses): Methods followed for in-field data sampling and interpretation ............................................................... 6 2.5 Criteria used to assess sites (Ecology and Hydrology) ......................... 7 2.6 Assessment of impacts (Ecology and Hydrology) ................................ 9 3 Study Area ........................................................................................ 10 3.1 Locality ....................................................................................... 10 3.2 Climate and rainfall ...................................................................... 14 3.3 Physiography and soils ................................................................. 14 3.4 Existing Land Use ......................................................................... 34 3.5 Strategic Environmental Assessment for wind and solar PV energy in South Africa – Renewable Energy Development Zones (REDZs) ........................... 34 3.6 Critical Biodiversity Areas and broad scale ecological processes ......... 37 4 Results for Surface Hydrological assessment .......................................... 42 4.1 Wetland classification, delineation and description ............................ 42 4.1.1 Pan Wetland 1 ............................................................................. 45 4.1.2 Pan Wetland 2 ............................................................................. 46 4.1.3 Pan Wetland 3 ............................................................................. 46 4.1.4 Pan Wetland 4 ............................................................................. 47 4.1.5 Pan Wetland 5 ............................................................................. 48 4.2 Soil Characteristics ....................................................................... 50 4.3 Drainage Line .............................................................................. 51 4.4 Wetland Vegetation ...................................................................... 51 4.5 Surface Water Buffer Zones ........................................................... 51 i | P a g e MOEDING SOLAR PV FACILITY, NORTH WEST PROVINCE: ECOLOGY & SURFACE HYDROLOGY ASSESSMENT November 2018 5 Results for ecological assessment ......................................................... 52 5.1 Vegetation overview – Broad Vegetation Description ........................ 52 5.2 Site specific vegetation description – Fine Scale Vegetation Patterns .. 57 5.2.1 Savannah Grassland ..................................................................... 59 5.2.2 Savannah Shrubland .................................................................... 62 5.2.3 Tree Savannah ............................................................................ 63 5.2.4 Savannah Woodland ..................................................................... 64 5.2.5 Depression “Pan” Wetlands ........................................................... 65 5.3 Fauna Survey .............................................................................. 66 5.4 Contamination risk ....................................................................... 71 5.5 Ecological and Surface Hydrological Sensitivity Analysis: Proposed Moeding Solar PV Facility ....................................................................... 71 5.5.1 Very High Sensitivity: Depression “Pan” Wetland. ............................ 73 5.5.2 High Sensitivity: Depression “Pan” Wetland Buffer Zone – 35m. ........ 73 5.5.3 Medium Sensitivity: Tall Woodland Fringe. ...................................... 74 5.5.4 Medium Sensitivity: Tall Mixed Woodland Patch. .............................. 75 5.5.5 Medium Sensitivity: Palaeo-Drainages within the project site. ............ 76 5.5.6 Medium-Low Sensitivity: Short Griekwa Karee Shrubland. ................. 77 5.5.7 Medium-Low Sensitivity: Open Vaalbos Shrubland. .......................... 78 5.5.8 Medium-Low Sensitivity: Tall Vaalbos Shrubland. ............................. 79 5.5.9 Medium-Low Sensitivity: Tall Karee Woodland. ................................ 80 5.5.10 Low Sensitivity: Secondary Open Woodland. ................................... 81 5.5.11 Low Sensitivity: Severely transformed and disturbed areas. .............. 82 6 Assessment of proposed impacts the project site ................................... 83 6.1 Assumptions ................................................................................ 83 6.2 Fixed and Tracking PV Panels ........................................................ 83 6.3 Localised vs. cumulative impacts: some explanatory notes ................ 84 6.4 Known and potential cumulative impacts due to nearby developments 85 6.5 Identification of Potential Ecological Impacts and Associated Activities 89 6.6 Identification of Potential Ecological Impacts and Associated Activities 90 6.7 Assessment of Impacts ................................................................. 90 6.7.1 For the SOLAR PV FACILITY (Entire project site including the development fooptrint) ............................................................................................. 90 Construction Phase .............................................................................. 91 Operation Phase .................................................................................100 Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................103 6.7.2 For the Overhead Power Line ....................................................... 107 ii | P a g e MOEDING SOLAR PV FACILITY, NORTH WEST PROVINCE: ECOLOGY & SURFACE HYDROLOGY ASSESSMENT November 2018 Construction Phase .............................................................................107 Operation Phase .................................................................................111 6.8 Comparison of Power Line Route Options ...................................... 113 7 Discussion and Conclusion ................................................................. 114 8 References ...................................................................................... 123 9 Appendices: .................................................................................... 127 Appendix 1. Listed Plant Species .......................................................... 127 Appendix 2. List of Mammals ............................................................... 136 Appendix 3. List of Reptiles. ................................................................. 141 Appendix 4. List of Amphibians. ............................................................ 145 FIGURES Figure 1: Locality map of the proposed Moeding Solar PV Facility, North-West Province (map provided by Savannah Environmental). ......................... 12 Figure 2: Proposed Moeding Solar PV Facility Layout near Vryburg, North West Province. ........................................................................................ 13 Figure 3: Climate graph of Vryburg (http://en.climate-data.org/location/10658/). ..................................................................................................... 14 Figure 4: Climate table of Vryburg (http://en.climate-data.org/location/10658/). ..................................................................................................... 14 Figure 5: Terrain units occurring within land types Ae36 and Ag10. ................. 15 Figure 6: The palaeo-channel (dark blue line) associated with the project site (orange polygon)............................................................................. 17 Figure 7: Typographical nature and features of the regional area. ................... 21 Figure 8: Map illustrating various micro-variations within the project site. ........ 22 Figure 9: Map illustrating the various aspects and slope