New Dams For Lowveld Rivers

[Richprins]

WHITE RIVER – Three major rivers in the Lowveld and their environment may undergo changes if proposed dams are to be built in them.

A group of researchers has just completed a study of water-resource management in the Lowveld, where it assessed the environmental and socio-economic implications of developmental scenarios on water catchments and presented its findings at a public meeting at Greenway Woods last Wednesday. The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and Inkomati-Usuthu Catchment Management Agency have joined hands with major water-use sectors in the Inkomati water management area to discuss the effects of future water-resource scenarios, including proposed dams in the Crocodile East, Sand/Sabie and Komati rivers.

“We assessed the requirements of current and future developments in the rivers,” said Ms Shane Naidoo, director of water-resource classification at the DWS.

“We considered the levels of protection of each river system and how that level of protection would facilitate the socio-economic development and sustainable use of the resource.”

The effects of the implementation of the developments were determined by means of scenario analyses, after which the recommendations and findings were summarised and presented at the meeting.

The study finds the Komati River to have many unused irrigation systems, but is quite unreliable due to its flow through Swaziland and upwards to Mozambique.

The scenario recommended for this river is one where the ecological state is maintained, water is provided to Mozambique, allow for growth in domestic use up to the year 2030 and the reinstatement of old irrigation systems.

The Crocodile East system is experiencing a growth in demand in domestic and industrial requirements, but the proposed Mountain View and Bosshjeskop dams can make water available for growth in requirements. In the near future, developments in the river can allow for future domestic growth, flow to Mozambique and flow requirements to maintain its present ecological state. On top of that, it will also allow for job creation.

The demand for water for domestic purposes from the Sabie/Sand River is also increasing. The study group’s current recommended scenario includes the maintenance of its current ecological state and possible reinstatement of forestry in the Sand catchment area.

The future scenario includes a new dam development in the Mutlumuvi River and decreased transfer from the Sabie River. In this way, water will be available for increased domestic use.

This scenario will bring about significant economical improvement due to job creation.

The study was initiated in April 2013 by the DWS. The group classified water resources and set up particular resource- quality objectives, which were conditions required to protect the resource.

Classification involved assessing the desired state of water resources by setting water-resource classes, or management classes, which strike a balance between the protection and the use of water resources. Class one is water which is minimally used and class three, heavily used.

There are water resources within the Sabie/Sand River that generally fall into class one, while some water resources in the Komati fall in class three, and the majority of water resources in the Crocodile East can be classified as class two.



http://lowvelder.co.za/258749/proposed- ... on-rivers/

[Richprins]

https://www.dwa.gov.za/Projects/WRAR/Do ... signed.pdf


A huge document!

Can't find the dams!