Mis-Management or Poor Water Management in the Kgalagadi ??

[RogerFraser]

Interesting post raising some serious concerns over the state of water management in KTP on Facebook by Corlette Wessels

Mis-Management or Poor Water Management in the Kgalagadi ??
We just left the park who I love dearly with all my heart and been visiting yearly since 1995. During our 2 weeks here I was saddened by how disrespectful many visitors are and not respecting this very sensitive Eco system!
Then the thing that really broke my heart was seeing animals walking km’a some days to come drink water only to get there and see the dams are empty!!

The dams in Aub river and Southern Kgalagadi were good but in the North is was shocking to say the least!!!

Kaspersdraai - NO water
Cubitje Quap - NO water
Kwang - NO water
Lanklaas - why us this still marked as a waterhole?? NO water
Kannaguass - NO water
Geinab - why is this still marked as a waterhole?? NO water
Unions End - NO water

From Dikbaardskolk to Unions End there are 15 waterholes, 7 has no water for days/ weeks now!!! See photos attached.

Nossob Camp has no water, again!! Then yesterday we found them at Polentswa with a truck with 2 x 5,000L tanks on and they taking water from the waterhole tanks for the camp??? We said from say 1 that the new extension of the camp is not good and it will put more pressure on the water table, well this was 4 years ago and already there are problems!

Money greedy is what parks are after but surprise without animals (and sightings already way less than 4-5 years ago) you will not have visitors!!!

I will address this officially to Kgalagadi Park Management and Arid Parks Management asking questions and will share this.

We were lucky to have seen and experience a beautiful ”waterhole” more of an overflow in the North, in the Nossob River that Botswana drilled (see photo 11&12) it is not build but very natural in the river and this attracted many animals and birds, especially raptors. It also has a lot of water. This is not open to visitors sadly! We were shown by Botswana rangers.

I believe Botswana is busy with a water study in the Kgalagadi which I will try to get more info on.

I leave with a very sad heart and hope to get answers to my questions from park management.

[okie]

Well , considering that this is a dry desert with animals living on what was on offer for thousands of years before humans started to interfere .

[Richprins]

Maybe there is a drought?

[Lisbeth]

This was mentioned as a possible problem when it was made known that they were going to build new accommodations in Nossob.

If the waterholes stay empty, the animals will disappear into Botswana and Namibia

[Lisbeth]

I do not think that this has happened before, at least not since I have been on the SA forums

[RogerFraser]

Well , considering that this is a dry desert with animals living on what was on offer for thousands of years before humans started to interfere .

Yes agreed natural cycles droughts etc but it all comes back to the whole you put a fence and roads and facilities in the area so what impact is that having on the water/migration/movements of the animals and does there need to be planned intervention to assist where these natural patterns are blocked by the said developments .

I think the question being raised is what is the water management plan that is being followed or if there even is one .The water scarcity was raised as a major concern to extending the developments in the region and one would hope that this went with a study on water availability .Have seen many posts around this post and related to visitors in the park not even being able to buy large bottled water during the peak periods as the shop had run out . There was also images of a watering hole on the Botswana side that had recently been drilled and was full of water that the author was allowed to go to with the assistance of the Botswana rangers .She also mentions Botswana is undertaking water study so at least they seem proactive in their management lets hope she gets some feedback from SANPARKS on their plan as well .

[Mel]

I'm fuming when I read this! Even worse than when we were there. And as far as I know they've basically just finished Kannaguass waterhole (for reasons I don't understand the waterhole was moved, like, five metres) after years of being on and off working. Two months after, once again no water there. Basically the same goes for Langklaas. Over years it was called a closed waterhole. Then - some five trips ago - as a beautiful surprise it was working again. Didn't last long… (Although I must say that it went dry already well over a year ago).

Kaspersdraai is usually overflowing! It still was in October, and that is way BEFORE the rainy season. Kaspers is also only about 20 kay south of Nossob camp. Cubitjie is 10 kays from it to the North, Kwang another 13. Shamed be he who thinks evil of it...

[Dzombo]

Maybe some questions can be asked of SANP?

[okie]

Hmmmm..... somehow , I get the feeling that water is not readily available in that part of the world anymore
Maybe somebody diverted it to Cape Town or something where there is more of a need for humans than for the few animals there in the desert
And what about getting the Nossop to flow again . Once in a hundred years is not enough