6 FREE STATE REGION TT RR OO RIVER SYSTEMS - 2003 PP EE RR SS RR EE VV II R -R FF O -O EE TT AA Caledon River TT SS High flows in the Orange River downstream of Vanderkloof Dam Modder River River Health Programme Context of this Report Contents The River Health Programme 2 Contributing Indices and Categories 4 Organisations This report is based on the findings of surveys of river systems in History of the Free State 6 the central region of South Africa. These surveys, which took The River Health Programme in the Free State 8 Department of Water Affairs and place from 2000 to 2003, were part of the implementation of the Forestry (DWAF) Organisational Arrangements 10 River Health Programme in the Free State and Northern Cape. Department of Environmental Affairs Overview of the Study Area 12 and Tourism (DEAT) Signatures of River Biodiversity 15 Water Research Commission (WRC) The surveys extended beyond provincial boundaries to certain Ecoregion Characteristics 16 Department of Tourism, Environmental and adjoining sub-ccatchments of the Orange-VVaal system. An SUMMARY 18 Economic Affairs - Free State (DTEEA) exception is the southern Gauteng catchment. These highly- SUMMARY (CONTINUED) 20 University of Free State, Centre for Environmental Management (CEM) polluted streams are the subject of a separate study (see the River Upper Vaal Catchment 22 Bloem Water Health Programme poster, Ecological State of Southern Gauteng Vaal, Harts & Skoonspruit Catchments 24 Rand Water Rivers). Vals & Renoster Catchments 26 Sedibeng Water Sand & Vet Catchments 28 CSIR Environmentek This report describes in some detail the organisational partnerships Modder & Riet Catchments 30 that have driven and sustained river biomonitoring activities at the Orange, Caledon & Kraai Catchments 32 provincial level since 1996. The Free State team relies heavily on Contributors Water Quality and Algae 34 shared responsibility and effective partnerships to achieve river Vleis & Pans 36 health objectives for all major rivers across a very large study area. Marinda Avenant Glossary 38 Organisational networking and collaboration are gaining importance Charles Barker Further Reading 39 Nacelle Collins as we move towards more devolved and co-ooperative river resource Pierre de Villiers Highlights, Challenges & Opportunities 40 Johann du Preez management, and this document includes an assessment of how Willem Grobler Thomas Gyedu-Ababio organisational arrangements support joint river health goals. Ntombi Hoohlo Cebo Mhlongo Israel Ngakantsi Jan Roos Maitland Seaman Charles Sekwele Mike Silberbauer Jurgen Streit Wilma Strydom Stephan van der Walt Ernita van Wyk Gerda Venter Dineke Vink Marie Watson Suggested citation: River Health Programme (2003). State-of-Rivers Report: Free State Reviewers: Region River Systems. Pete Ashton Department of Water Affairs and Forestry John Dini Pretoria Liesl Hill Neels Kleynhans ISBN No: 0-620-31794-9 Uli Looser Bonani Madikizela Harrison Pienaar Rudi Pretorius Dirk Roux Christa Thirion MARCH 2004 The River Health Programme In 1994, DWAF launched the River Health Programme (RHP) to gather information on the health State-oof-RRivers Reporting of South Africa's river systems. Background Continuous monitoring of our river The central objective of South Africa's State-of-Rivers (SoR) reports are a systems and State-of-River reports on water policy is the equitable, efficient component of State of the Environment changes in their health, track our and sustainable use of our water (SOE) reporting, promoted at the United The Department of Water Affairs progress toward river health goals. resources. The National Water Act Nations Conference on Environment & (NWA), Act 36 of 1998, recognises that Development (UNCED) in Rio de and Forestry (DWAF) is the The RHP has built on the SOE experience Although DWAF guides the RHP, the the best way to achieve this is to Janeiro in 1992, as an improved source custodian of all water resources and has developed methods for programme is a co-operative venture manage aquatic ecosystems (including of environmental information for providing information on the in South Africa. This makes with participants from many government rivers) at the catchment scale and decision-making. ecoqlogical state of rivers to help with DWAF responsible for the care and non-government organisations: through joint participation by all inter- environmental decision-making. The DEAT, WRC, DWAF Regions, provincial ested parties. The RHP supports this The NEMA is currently being revised to and management of water SoR process monitors rivers, then government departments, universities, management process by providing the include, amongst other amendments, a resources to ensure sustainable packages and disseminates infor- conservation agencies, private sector river health information needed by requirement for formal State of the social and economic devel- mation on river health to managers organisations, etc. managers and the participating public Environment assessment and reporting. and decision-makers. In this way, the opment. to make decisions. SOE reports RHP provides ecologically sound A river's ability to continue providing - provide information for better decision- management information while also informing and educating people goods and services depends on making regarding sustainable devel- about the health and importance of informed and effective river opment their rivers. State of Environment reports management. The requirements for - compare environmental performances sustainable use and development of of different areas answer questions such as: rivers include an understanding of river River Health information appears in an - increase public awareness of health, knowledge of the causes of accessible report format (such as this environment and development issues - What changes are taking place deterioration, and information about document) or in a more condensed in the condition and functioning areas of sustained utilisation and - empower individuals and organisations poster form. Eventually the RHP will unacceptable deterioration. This to improve their environment and cover all South Africa's major river of the environment? knowledge is required to set goals and quality of life for themselves and future systems. The RHP will also revisit rivers to decide on management actions to generations periodically in order to provide infor- - What is causing these changes? achieve desired river health states. mation on long-term trends in the SOE reports use the 'Driving-Force- health of river systems. - What are the consequences of Pressure-State-Impact-Response' framework. This describes the human This report is the sixth in the State-of- these changes? RHP activities and outputs are strongly activities which create pressures on the Rivers series. Previous reports and aligned with national legislation, because environment, the current state and more information can be found on - What is our response and are the NWA requires the estabishment of trends in environmental conditions, the the RHP web page our actions effective? monitoring systems including the consequences for sustainability and http://www.csir.co.za/rhp/. monitoring of aquatic ecosystem health. human livelihoods, and the policies and - What more can we do to improve The RHP monitoring results, in turn, actions in place to manage the the environment including river support other legal principles contained environment. This way of presenting health and, therefore, the quality in the National Water Act and the information is comprehensive and easy National Environmental Management to understand, especially if specific and flow of aquatic goods and Act (NEMA), Act 107 0f 1998. For indicators are used to measure changes services from which people example, RHP results provide evidence of in pressures, states and responses. benefit? environmental degradation where this may occur. 2 3 Indices and Categories What are River Health Method used to categorise the study area. More details on the Each of the river health categories Indices? ecoregion classification system can be (below) is associated with a level of our rivers found on p 16. ecosystem health. The ecosystem health South African Scoring is linked to the potential of a river system Many physical, chemical and System (SASS) Once river health indices are measured, The results obtained by applying the to offer a particular range of goods and biological factors influence river they need to be interpreted within a biological and habitat indices during services. A ‘fair’ or ‘poor’ river may have ecosystem health, e.g. geomor- Geomorphological Aquatic invertebrates (e.g. insects, framework that allows comparison of river surveys provide the information lost its potential for most of the uses, e.g. mussels, snails, crabs, worms) require that determines the health of the river. tourism, conservation and even phology, hydrological and Index (GI) the health of monitoring sites and even agriculture. It might, however be hydraulic regimes, water quality, specific habitats and water quality condi- river systems. An ecoregion classification For standardisation purposes that will tions for at least part of their life cycle. system was used to delineate ecological also allow for comparison of the health acceptable for a river to be ‘fair’ if a Geomorphological processes determine in-stream and riparian habitats Changes in invertebrate community boundaries that allow grouping and of different river systems, a river health higher socio-economic