GIB wetland rehabilitation project benefits many
Water conservation, in what has become a drought-stricken part of our land, is the core business of the Gamtoos Irrigation Board, according to CEO Rienette Colesky.
Since early in the 2000s, GIB, for the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has worked tirelessly to manage valuable water resources for both domestic and agricultural users in an area known for citrus, vegetable and dairy farming.
There are several projects undertaken annually to aid the process of water conservation. Among these, there is the issue of the eradication of alien plants in the Kromme and Kouga river catchment areas.
Because these plants increase transpiration, evaporation losses and absorb much more water from the ground than indigenous plants. They can reduce the flow of rivers and annual runoff, affecting the dams that supply water to the Nelson Mandela metro — the Churchill, Impofu and, indirectly, the Kouga dams.
Another such project recently, has been the rehabilitation of the wetlands in the Diep and Kromme rivers which, have been eaten away. The purpose of the rehabilitation is to restore them to benefit both the environment and water users once again.
Colesky says: “Wetlands are an essential part of our ecosystem which we must protect. They act as a sponge for water, making them a kind of storage dam. They also function as a filter, improving the water quality as it moves through the wetlands.”
There are various ways to rehabilitate the wetlands, incorporating so-called soft and/ or hard options.
“Soft options include establishing plants in sites or fitting hive hedges (made of wire baskets filled with stones) or geocells, while hard options involve resorting to cement, possibly with the addition of hive barricades.”
Edwill Moore is the GIB area manager for their western footprint (Tsitsikamma to Patensie). It is his responsibility to oversee the contractors and external teams, who work on tasks like clearing alien invasive species and the wetlands rehabilitation project.
“There were 17 contractors involved in this project, employing 325 workers from local communities such as Louterwater, Joubertina, Kareedouw and Tsitsikamma, and providing much-needed employment in the area,” Moore says.
The teams of contractors, before embarking on this project, underwent training in the following areas: Health and safety, first aid, Covid-19 awareness, chainsaw operating and maintenance, and the application of herbicides.
Moore speaks of the transferability of the skills they have acquired: “We have found that the critical skills like first aid and health and safety are always in demand. The forestry industry in Tsitsikamma also absorbs many of the chainsaw operators once a project of this kind is completed.
“It’s not only hard work all the time,“ he laughs. “There have also been some funny encounters with harmless water snakes.”
Since the wetland scheme started in 2000, Moore says they have worked at the building of large constructions at 11 places on the river. In most cases, the structure was planned and completed within two to three years.
Their next project? “We are busy negotiating a partnership with the World Wildlife Fund that will complement the current wetland rehabilitation work,” Moore says.
GBR vleilandrehabilitasieprojek hou vele voordele in
Waterbesparing in ’n deel van ons land wat ‘n geruime tyd reeds deur droogte geteister is, is ’n sleutelbedryf van die Gamtoos-Besproeiingsraad, sê hoof uitvoerende beampte Rienette Colesky.
Sedert vroeg in die 2000’s werk die raad, namens die Departement van Bosbou, Visserye en die Omgewing, onverpoos om waardevolle waterbronne vir beide huishoudelike en landbougebruikers te bestuur in ’n area wat bekend is vir sy sitrus-, groente- en suiwelboerderye.
Verskeie projekte word jaarliks aangepak om die proses van waterbesparing aan te vul. Dit sluit die uitwissing van uitheemse plante in die Kromme- en Kougarivieropvangsgebiede in.
Omdat hierdie plante transpirasie en verdampingsverliese verhoog, en baie meer water uit die grond absorbeer as inheemse plante, kan hulle die vloei van riviere en jaarlikse afloop verminder. Die damme wat water aan die Nelson Mandela-metro verskaf – die Churchill-, Impofu- en, indirek, die Kouga-damme – word dus ook beïnvloed.
Die rehabilitasie van die Diep- en Krommerivier vleilande, wat met die tyd heen weggevreet is, was ’n soortgelyke onlangse projek.
Die doel van hierdie rehabilitasiepogings is om die vleilande te help herstel sodat hulle weer eens vir beide die omgewing en waterverbruikers van baat kan wees.
Colesky sê: “Vleilande is ‘n noodsaaklike deel van ons ekosisteem wat ons moet beskerm. Hulle dien as ‘n ‘spons’ vir water, wat hulle ‘n tipe ‘opgaardam’ maak. Hulle funksioneer ook as ’n filter wat die watergehalte verbeter soos dit deur die vleilande beweeg.”
Daar is verskeie maniere om die vleilande te rehabiliteer, insluitend die gebruik van “sagte” en “harde” opsies.
“Sagte opsies mag wees om plante op spesifieke plekke te vestig, of om ’n skanskorf of korfskans (’n kubusvormige ‘mandjie’ van metaal wat met klippe volgemaak is) aan te bring. Harde opsies sluit in die gebruik van sement, dalk met die toevoeging van korfversperrings.”
Edwill Moore is die GIB se streeksbestuurder vir die westelike area (Tsitsikamma tot Patensie). Dit is sy verantwoordelikheid om toesig te hou oor die kontrakteurs en eksterne spanne wat take soos die verwydering van uitheemse indringerspesies en die vleilandrehabilitasieprojek hanteer.
“Sewentien kontrakteurs was by hierdie projek betrokke,” sê Moore, “en 325 werksgeleenthede is geskep vir werkers vanuit die plaaslike gemeenskappe soos Louterwater, Joubertina, Kareedouw en Tsitsikamma, waar werk regtig broodnodig is.”
Voor die kontrakteurspanne met die projek afgeskop het, is opleiding in die volgende areas gebied: Gesondheid en veiligheid; noodhulp; Covid-19 bewustheid; kettingsaagopleiding en -instandhouding; en die toedien van onkruiddoders.
Moore maak melding van die belangrikheid van vaardighede wat aangeleer is: “Ons het bevind dat kritiese vaardighede soos noodhulp, asook gesondheid en veiligheid, altyd in aanvraag is. Die bosboubedryf in Tsitsikamma absorbeer ook baie van die kettingsaagwerkers sodra ’n projek van hierdie aard voltooi is.
“Dis egter nie net die heeltyd harde werk nie,” bieg hy. “Daar was ook al ‘n paar kennismakings met skadelose waterslange!”
Moore sê sedert die vleilandskema in die jaar 2000 begin het, was hulle by die bou van groot konstruksies by 11 liggings langs die rivier betrokke. In die meeste gevalle is die strukture binne twee tot drie jaar beplan en voltooi.
Hul volgende projek? “Ons is besig om ’n vennootskap met die Wêreldnatuurlewefonds te onderhandel wat die bestaande vleilandrehabilitasiewerk sal aanvul,” sê Moore.