The Western Cape State of the Environment Outlook Report (draft 2013) makes the following statement about the province’s estuaries: “Estuarine environments are of concern. Typically Western Cape estuaries are highly modified, and characterised by poor health and low levels of protection, except in the Eden District. This is concerning considering that all Western Cape estuaries are considered to be critically endangered ecosystems.”
The Overberg region has a number of estuaries that are of national importance from ecosystems biodiversity and economic perspectives, the Breede, Klien and Bot river estuaries ranking within the top 10, making it imperative that effective management practices are instituted for at least these.
The Integrated Coastal Management Act requires estuary management plans to be drawn up and implemented in accordance with a national estuary management protocol (NEMP). Prior to the publication of the NEMP in 2013, estuary management plans were drafted for the estuaries of the Breede River, Heuningnes River, Klein River, Bot River and Uilkraals River. A situation assessment was also drafted in the first six months of 2013 for the Onrus River Estuary, but the municipality has not released this to the public. Estuary Forums have been set up for all of these estuaries for which draft EMPs have been written.
Effective management of the estuaries is frustrated by, what the Western Cape State of the Environment Outlook Report aptly refers to as, “mandate paralysis.”
Documents relevant to the management of estuaries in the Overberg region can be accessed in this section of the website.
GENERAL
Taking Care of Catchments & Water Reserves
National Estuarine Management Protocol
National Biodiversity Assessment 2011 – Estuarine Component
Ecological Water Requirements for Estuaries – Methods for the Determination of (Turpie, taljaard, Adams, van Niekerk, Forbes, Clark)
Recreational Water Quality Standrads Guideline – Department of Environmental Affairs 2012
Estuarine Water Quality Monitoring Protocol Outline (Sue Matthews 2010)
Overstrand Estuary Health Monitoring Protocol – 2011
BOT RIVER ESTUARY
Management Plans
Situation Assessment Appendices
Situation Assessment Comments Report
Mouth Management Plan & DEA&PD Approval
Reports & Publications
Estuaries of the Cape Report – Bot Kleinmond System (CSIR 1982)
River Health Programme 2006 – Extract
Bot River Hydrodynamics (van Niekerk et al 2005)
Bot River Estuary: Should we Interfere? (Bally and Branch 1986)
Important Bird Area Fact Sheet -Bot River Estuary (Birdlife International 2009)
Transactions of the Royal Society (Various authors 1985)
KLEIN RIVER ESTUARY
Management Plans
Situation Assessment Appendices
Revised Estuary Management Plan
Mouth Management Plan & DEA&DP Approval – 2011
Mouth Management Plan & DEA&DP Approval – 2013
Reports and Publications
Post Breaching Report – September 2011
Estuaries of the Cape – Klein – CSIR 1989
Waterbirds of the Klien River Estuary (Harebottle 2009)
Water Quality in the Klien River Estuary (Hamilton Attwell)
Klein River Estuary: Modelling Estuary Breaching (Beck & Basson 2008)
Physico-Chemical Conditions in Kleinriviersvlei (Coetzee & Pool 1986)
The Klein River Estuary (Scott et al 1952)
Other reports on the Klien River Estuary that are not available in digital form
UILKRAALS RIVER ESTUARY
Management Plans
Reports & Publications
Estuaries of the Cape – Uilkraals (CSIR 1982)
Bloodworm in the Uilkraal (Gaigher 1984)
Uilkraals Saltmarshes (Mucina et al 2003)
River Health Programme 2006 (Extract)
Sediment Redistribution in the Uilkraals Estuary as a Consequence of Human Disturbance (Crowther 1988, MSc Thesis – not in digital form)