State of the Rivers Report Obtainable from: Water Research Commission PO Box 824 PRETORIA 0001 ISBN: 1 86845 689 7 Printed in the Republic of South Africa Disclaimer This report has been reviewed by the Water Research Commission (WRC) and approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the contents necessarily reflect the views and policies of the WRC, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. r State of the Rivers Report Crocodile, Sahie-Stznd & Olifants River Systems A report of the River Health Programme http://www.csir.co.za/rhp/ WRC Report No, IT 147/01 March 2001 Participating Organisations ami Programmes Department ofWater Affairs and forestry Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Water Research Commission CSIR Etivironmentek Mpumatanga Parks Hoard Krtiger \ational Park Working for Water Programme (Atpitma/anga) Biomonitoring Serrices Steering Group Steve Mitchell Henk van Vliet Rudi Pretorius Alison I low man Joban de Beer Editorial Team Anna Balhince Liesl Hill Dirk Roux Mike Silherhauer Wilma Strydom Technical Contributions Andrew Deacon Gerhard Diedericks Joban Fngelbrecht Neels K/eynhaus Anton Linstrb'm Tony Poulter Francois Roux Christa Thirion Photographs Allan Batcl.wtor Andrew Deacon Anuelise (,'erher Neels Kleynhans Liesl Hill Johann Mey Dirk Roux loretta Steyn Wilma Strydom F.rnita van Wyk Design Loretta Steyn Graphic Design Studio Contents The Hirer Health Programme 7 A new Witter Act for South Africa 2 An Overview of the Study Area 4 River Indicators and Indices 6 Indices in this Report 8 The Crocodile River System Ecoregions and River Characteristics . 10 Present Ecological State 12 Drirers <>t Eco/miii/i/ Ch/un'i' 14 Desired Ecological State 16 The Sabie-Sand River System Ecoregions and River Characteristics . 18 Present Ecological State 20 Drivers of Ecological Change 22 Desired Ecological State 24 The Olifanfs River System Ecoregions and Rirer Characteristics 26 /'resent Ecological State 30 Drivers of Ecological Change 32 Desired Ecological State 36 Summary 38 Information Boxes: Abbreviations 7 The Importance of Wet/ana's 13 The Importance of Riparian Vegetation . 21 Alien Vegetation and the WOrking for Water Programme 25 Environmental Eloiv Requirements 29 Context of this Report Between 1996 and 1999, the River Health Programme (RHP) conducted surveys on the three major river systems of Mpumalanga, the Crocodile, Sabie-Sand and Olifants Rivers, I including some of their tributaries. The RHP collected and assessed a substantial body of data on the ecological health of these rivers during the surveys. This report makes that information available in a state-of-environment reporting framework. River Health Prog ru mme The national Department of Water Affairs & Forestry (DWAF) initiated the South African River Health Programme (RHP) in 1994. The purpose of this initiative was to gather information regarding the ecological state of river ecosystems in South Africa. The information will he used to support positive management of these natural resources. Aquatic communities (e.g. fish, riparian vegetation, aquatic reference sites; protocols for selecting and using biological invertebrate fauna) integrate and reflect the effects of and abiotir indices (to measure the health of river ecosys- chemical and physical disturbances that occur in river tems); procedures for the storage, management and transfer ecosystems over extended periods of time. The RHP uses of data collected by the RHP; and mechanisms for collabo- assessments of these biological communities to provide a ration and networking amongst partners. direct, holistic and integrated measure of the integrity or health of the river as a whole. In order to ensure a critical level of organisational partici- pation and capacity, a model of shared ownership has been The planning, development and implementation of the RHP advocated. The Department of Water Affairs & Forestry has been undertaken in the following phases: (DWAF), the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) and the Water Research Commission (WRC) /. Design became joint custodians of the programme at a national level, assisted by Provincial Champions and Provincial The objectives, scope, and specifications of the programme Implementation Teams. were set by local resource managers and scientists in con- junction with international benchmarks. The objectives of 3. Pilot implementation the RHP are to: * Measure, assess and report on the ecological state of This phase was necessary to allow testing, refinement, and aquatic ecosystems; integration of components of the RHP, and highlighted addi- * Detect and report on spatial and temporal trends in the tional developments where required. It also demonstrated the ecological state of aquatic ecosystems; value of the programme and provided broad guidelines to facil- H» Identify and report on emerging problems regarding itate the eventual implementation and maintenance of the aquatic ecosystems; programme. A further outcome was an improved understanding * Ensure that all reports provide scientifically and man- of the practical and operational factors that influence the sus- agerially relevant information for national aquatic tainable implementation of the RHP. ecosystem management. 4. Anchoring phase 2. Conceptual Development The goal of this current phase is to help implementation Prototypes have been developed for: a spatial classification agencies to go through the different steps of implementing scheme, (which allows comparison of biological data from the programme, and to internalise the programme in terms different sites); a protocol for selecting monitoring and of required expertise, skills and budgets. netv Water Act for South Africa The principles ofsustainability and An integrated resource protection approach is the best way equity are the cornerstones of the South to adequately address the need to manage water resources on an ecosysieui wen ds anowmg a Daiance African water policy. The protection of between long-term protection and short-term development aquatic ecosystems is recognised as needs. The integrated resource protection approach: essential in order to support their • Sets measurable and verifiable resource quality objec- sustainable and optimal use. tives (RQOs) that clearly define acceptable levels of pro- tection for water resources. These RQOs have four criti- cal components, namely requirements tor water quantity Therefore, for the first time and through the provision of (water level or flow), requirements for water quality an ecological reserve, the water required to maintain (chemical, yni-iiLdi, miu uiLJiuyiijtiL t-iididciensLics 01 me aquatic ecosystem integrity is guaranteed. The National water), requirements for habitat integrity (of in-stream Water Act (Act No 36 of 1998) has two separate but inter- and riparian habitats), and requirements for biotic dependent components related to the proposed strategy for integrity (health, community structure and distribu- sustainable resource utilisation, namely: tion). • Protection of water resources in order to ensure their • Imposes source-directed controls (economic and regula- ability to support utilisation for the benefit of current tory instruments and self-regulation) for waste dis- and future generations; charge, impact generation and rehabilitation, to ensure • Utilisation of water resources in the most efficient and that the conditions for protection of the receiving envi- effective manner, within the constraints set by the ronment are met. requirements for protection. The RHP will play an important role in specifying RQOs for habitat and biological coinpunenLs uf aquatic ecosystems. Through the RHP, assessments can be made regarding the ecological state of an aquatic ecosystem in terms of: • The present ecological state (where are we now); • Ecological reference conditions (where could we poten- tially be); • Setting of ecologically sound and feasible RQOs (where we aim to be). State of Environment reporting State of the Environment (SOE) reporting was promoted at the United Nations Conference on Environment & Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, in response to a call for improved environmental information for decision-making. In South Africa, the national Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism initiated a programme of SOE reporting by producing the first national report, on the Internet, and city reports for Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and In order to answer these questions, most SOE reports use a "Pressure-State-Response" framework, which describes the pressures on the environment, the current state and trends in environmental conditions, and the policies and actions that are in place to manage the environment. This way of presenting information is easy to understand, especially if specific indicators are used to measure changes in pres- sures, states and responses. In South Africa the national State of the Environment report expands this concept to include "Driving Forces", the human activities which create environmental pressures, and "Impacts", the consequences for sustainability and human livelihoods. Pretoria. SOE reporting will soon be a statutory require- ment, and regular updates will be required. SOE reports are designed to: * Provide information to Government and agencies for improved decision-making in sustainable development * Compare environmental performances of different areas * Increase public awareness of environment and develop- ment