Amid the worsening drought in the Eastern Cape, the rollout of a new alien invasive plant clearing project in the Kouga and Kromme River systems near Kareedouw and Joubertina is set to increase the water flow to three of Port Elizabeth’s supply dams, while bringing much-needed job creation to the Langkloof region.
Implemented by the Gamtoos Irrigation Board (GIB) on behalf of the department of environmental affairs, the one-year National Resource Management project has employed 61 contractors and 800 workers to clear 950 densely populated hectares along the Diep River and its tributaries.
Gamtoos Irrigation Board area manager Edwill Moore said eradicating these alien invasive species will bring relief to the drought-stricken region by increasing the flow of water into the Impofu Dam as well as the Kouga and Churchill dams downstream.
“This ongoing drought has placed enormous pressure on our storage dams. Alien invasive trees — in this case, mainly black wattle — consume huge amounts of water, which would otherwise flow into these dams,” Moore said.
“Clearing alien invasive plant species is one of the most cost-effective ways of increasing our water supply.”
Kouga Dam, a major supply dam in the region, now stands at 31.3% full, while extraction from the Impofu Dam, which is the second biggest, has been halted after its water level dropped to a critical 17.5%.
He said the contractors and their respective teams of 12 previously unemployed workers had been appointed from the local communities of Misgund, Louterwater, Krakeel, Joubertina and Kareedouw.
“We advertised for contractors in the Kou-Kamma municipal area. A community liaison committee — consisting of five ward councillors and two ward committee members per ward — assisted in shortlisting a pool of potential contractors.”
Moore said the successful bidders were then asked to appoint their own teams — on the condition that the workers had to be drawn from the unemployment lists in the five wards.
“Each team comprises three chainsaw operators to fell the trees along the riverbanks and three herbicide applicators to ensure that the stumps don’t grow back, assisted by two general workers,” he said.
“There are also two health and safety reps to maintain a safe working environment and a pair of first aiders in case of an injury on duty.”
GIB CEO Rienette Colesky said: “While we are certain that this project will succeed in securing more run off for our dams, we cannot say exactly how much water, as that depends on the size of the alien species cleared and the terrain they are cleared from.
“At this point in time the most cost effective way of securing water from our catchment areas is to clear alien invasive species, because they are big consumers of water.”
In addition to specialist training, Moore said all participants received general life skills training such as HIV/Aids counselling, substance abuse counselling and peer education.
Clearing alien growth to increase water flow to PE dams
Image: SUPPLIED
Amid the worsening drought in the Eastern Cape, the rollout of a new alien invasive plant clearing project in the Kouga and Kromme River systems near Kareedouw and Joubertina is set to increase the water flow to three of Port Elizabeth’s supply dams, while bringing much-needed job creation to the Langkloof region.
Implemented by the Gamtoos Irrigation Board (GIB) on behalf of the department of environmental affairs, the one-year National Resource Management project has employed 61 contractors and 800 workers to clear 950 densely populated hectares along the Diep River and its tributaries.
Gamtoos Irrigation Board area manager Edwill Moore said eradicating these alien invasive species will bring relief to the drought-stricken region by increasing the flow of water into the Impofu Dam as well as the Kouga and Churchill dams downstream.
“This ongoing drought has placed enormous pressure on our storage dams. Alien invasive trees — in this case, mainly black wattle — consume huge amounts of water, which would otherwise flow into these dams,” Moore said.
“Clearing alien invasive plant species is one of the most cost-effective ways of increasing our water supply.”
Kouga Dam, a major supply dam in the region, now stands at 31.3% full, while extraction from the Impofu Dam, which is the second biggest, has been halted after its water level dropped to a critical 17.5%.
He said the contractors and their respective teams of 12 previously unemployed workers had been appointed from the local communities of Misgund, Louterwater, Krakeel, Joubertina and Kareedouw.
“We advertised for contractors in the Kou-Kamma municipal area. A community liaison committee — consisting of five ward councillors and two ward committee members per ward — assisted in shortlisting a pool of potential contractors.”
Moore said the successful bidders were then asked to appoint their own teams — on the condition that the workers had to be drawn from the unemployment lists in the five wards.
“Each team comprises three chainsaw operators to fell the trees along the riverbanks and three herbicide applicators to ensure that the stumps don’t grow back, assisted by two general workers,” he said.
“There are also two health and safety reps to maintain a safe working environment and a pair of first aiders in case of an injury on duty.”
GIB CEO Rienette Colesky said: “While we are certain that this project will succeed in securing more run off for our dams, we cannot say exactly how much water, as that depends on the size of the alien species cleared and the terrain they are cleared from.
“At this point in time the most cost effective way of securing water from our catchment areas is to clear alien invasive species, because they are big consumers of water.”
In addition to specialist training, Moore said all participants received general life skills training such as HIV/Aids counselling, substance abuse counselling and peer education.
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