UPGRADE OF ROAD D4407 BETWEEN HLUVUKANI AND TIMBAVATI (7.82 KM), ROAD D4409 AT WELVERDIEND (6.88 KM) AND ROAD D4416/2 BETWEEN WELVERDIEND AND ROAD P194/1 (1.19 KM) IN THE BOHLABELA REGION OF THE MPUMALANGA PROVINCE FRESHWATER ASSESSMENT REPORT PREPARED FOR: COMPILED BY: DATED: March 2020 www.ncc-group.co.za D4407 Road Upgrade Freshwater Assessment Report – Mar 2020 Page 1 of 105 DOCUMENT CONTROL TITLE: Upgrade of Road D4407 between Hluvukani and Timbavati (7.82 Km), Road D4409 At Welverdiend (6.88 Km) and Road D4416/2 between Welverdiend And Road P194/1 (1.19 Km) in the Bohlabela Region of the Mpumalanga Province LOCATION: Bohlabela Region of the Mpumalanga Province CLIENT: Lidwala Consulting Engineers CONSULTANT: NCC Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd DOCUMENT NUMBER: TBC REVISION: 00 DATE: 18/03/2020 CLIENT REPRESENTATIVE: AUTHOR: Etiene Roux Craig Burne Project Engineer Freshwater Ecologist T · 082 852 5323 T · 078 467 3685 E · [email protected] E · [email protected] REVIEWED BY: APPROVED BY: Jonathan Szoke Operations Manager: SHERQ Consulting T · 083 232 6356 in E · [email protected] REVIEWED BY: NCC Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd D4407 Road Upgrade Freshwater Assessment Report – Mar 2020 Page 2 of 105 Reg No: 2007/023691/07 DOCUMENT GUIDE The table below provides the 2014 NEMA requirements (as amended) for specialist reports and the relevant sections in the report where these requirements are addressed: EIA Regulations Description Page/Section 2014, GN982 in the report (as amended in 2017) Appendix 6 (a) A specialist report prepared in terms of these Regulations must contain details of— Page 3 i. the specialist who prepared the report; and Also see BAR ii. the expertise of that specialist to compile a specialist report including a curriculum vitae Appendix 6 (b) A declaration that the specialist is independent in a form as may be specified by the Page 3 competent authority Appendix 6 (c) An indication of the scope of, and the purpose for which, the report was prepared Sections 2, 4 & 5 Appendix 6 (cA) An indication of the quality and age of base data used for the specialist report Sections 8, 9 & referenced throughout Appendix 6 (cB) A description of existing impacts on the site, cumulative impacts of the proposed Sections 8 & 9 development and levels of acceptable change Appendix 6 (d) The duration, date and season of the site investigation and the relevance of the season Section 8 to the outcome of the assessment Appendix 6 (e) A description of the methodology adopted in preparing the report or carrying out the Section 8 specialised process inclusive of equipment and modelling used Appendix 6 (f) Details of an assessment of the specific identified sensitivity of the site related to the Maps in proposed activity or activities and its associated structures and infrastructure, inclusive Sections 3, 9 of a site plan identifying site alternatives & Annexures I & M Also see BAR Appendix 6 (g) An identification of any areas to be avoided, including buffers Sections 9, 10 & Annexure N Appendix 6 (h) A map superimposing the activity including the associated structures and Section 9 infrastructure on the environmental sensitivities of the site including areas to be avoided, including buffers; Appendix 6 (i) A description of any assumptions made and any uncertainties or gaps in knowledge; Sections 6, 7 & Annexure K Appendix 6 (j) A description of the findings and potential implications of such findings on the impact Section 9 & of the proposed activity or activities Annexure N Appendix 6 (k) Any mitigation measures for inclusion in the EMPr; Section 10 & Annexure N Appendix 6 (l) Any conditions for inclusion in the environmental authorisation; Section 10 & Annexure N Appendix 6 (m) Any monitoring requirements for inclusion in the EMPr or environmental Section 10 & authorisation; Annexure N Appendix 6 (n) A reasoned opinion— Sections 11 & i. whether the proposed activity, activities or portions thereof should be authorised; 12 (iA) regarding the acceptability of the proposed activity or activities; and ii. if the opinion is that the proposed activity, activities or portions thereof should be authorised, any avoidance, management and mitigation measures that should be included in the EMPr, and where applicable, the closure plan; Appendix 6 (o) A description of any consultation process that was undertaken during the course of See BAR preparing the specialist report; Appendix 6 (p) A summary and copies of any comments received during any consultation process and See BAR where applicable all responses thereto Appendix 6 (q) Any other information requested by the competent authority. None NCC Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd D4407 Road Upgrade Freshwater Assessment Report – Mar 2020 Page 3 of 105 Reg No: 2007/023691/07 DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE I, Craig Burne, as duly authorised representative of NCC Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd (NCC), hereby confirm my independence as a specialist and declare that neither I nor NCC have any interest; be it business, financial, personal or other, in any proposed activity, application or appeal in respect of NCC being appointed as environmental assessment practitioner in terms of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998), other than fair remuneration for the work performed. This is specifically in connection with the appointment of NCC, by Lidwala Consulting Engineers, to undertake a NEMA Section 24G Rectification Process via Basic Assessment for the Upgrade of road D4407 between HluvukanI and Timbavati, Road D4409 at Welverdiend and road D4416/2 between Welverdiend and road P194/1 in the Bohlabela region of the Mpumalanga Province. In terms of the prerequisites of the Natural Scientific Professions, 2003 (Act No. 27 of 2003) and as a registered member of the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions, I will undertake my profession in accordance with the Code of Conduct of the Council. I declare this study to be my own work prepared independently of any influence or prejudice with respect to any other party where the findings and conclusions have been made, to the best of my ability, with objective and truthful intention. Signed: Craig Burne Pr.Sci.Nat. MSc (Freshwater Ecology) 18 March 2020 NCC Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd NCC Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd D4407 Road Upgrade Freshwater Assessment Report – Mar 2020 Page 4 of 105 Reg No: 2007/023691/07 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Lidwala Consulting Engineers SA (Pty) Ltd (Lidwala) were appointed by the Mpumalanga Province, Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport (DPWRT) for the planning, design, tender documentation, and construction supervision for the “Upgrading of road D4407 between Hluvukani and Timbavati (7.82 km), road D4409 at Welverdiend (6.88 km) and road D4416/2 between Welverdiend and road P194/1 (1.19 km) in the Bohlabela region of the Mpumalanga Province”. NCC Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd (NCC) were appointed by Lidwala to conduct a NEMA Section 24G application after it was confirmed that the road upgrade project triggered NEMA listed activity no. 19 of Listing Notice 1 and listed activity no. 14 of Listing Notice 3. Construction activity subsequently commenced without acquiring the mandatory environmental authorisation required for the project. In terms of the NEMA Section 24G rectification process, a freshwater assessment relating to freshwater resources (watercourses/drainage lines, riparian zones and wetlands) associated with the project is one of the specialist studies required as part of the basic environmental assessment process and application for environmental authorisation. NCC was duly appointed by Lidwala to conduct the freshwater assessment. An initial desktop study and literature review was conducted followed by field visit and ground-truth verification for purposes of more accurate delineation and mapping of freshwater resources in the broader study area. As part of the scope of the delineation, the 32m watercourse regulated area in terms of the NEMA EIA Regulations and the respective 100m and 500m watercourse and wetland regulated areas in terms of section 21 (c) & (i) of the National Water Act (NWA) were used for the delineation and for proposing buffers to afford protection to freshwater resources within the regulated area of the project footprint. Wetlands within the regulated area were classified and assessed in terms of their present ecological state and (PES) ecological importance and sensitivity (EIS) using the widely utilised tools namely Wet-Health (after Macfarlane et al., 2008), Wet-Ecoservices (after Kotze et al. 2009) and DWS EIS assessment criteria (after Kleynhans, 1999). Given the non-perennial nature of the watercourses in the study area and no flow underway at the time of the assessment, the components of freshwater aquatic systems typically included in an aquatic impact assessment were not possible to assess. No in-situ water quality assessment and no field-based assessments of macroinvertebrates, fish or vegetation were carried out. A riparian and instream habitat assessment using the Index of Habitat Integrity (IHI) (after Kleynhans, 1996) with background literature and studies and aerial imagery combined with the field observations informing the watercourse PES and EIS assessments. A risk assessment relating to potential impacts of the development on watercourses and freshwater biodiversity in NCC Environmental Services (Pty) Ltd D4407 Road Upgrade Freshwater Assessment Report – Mar 2020 Page 5 of 105 Reg No: 2007/023691/07 terms of section 21 (c) and (i) of the NWA was carried out using the DWS-regulated risk matrix approach promulgated in GN509 dated 26th August 2016 and DEAT guidelines on impact assessment. Freshwater resource maps have been developed for the study area indicating the location of freshwater features. Six wetlands, two seep systems and four artificial benches (dams) were identified within 500m of the road and borrow pit footprints. Two drainage culvert road crossings and one bridge crossing are directly within non-perennial watercourses traversed by the existing gravel road.