ESTUARIES IN SOUTH AFRICA

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GOURITZ ESTUARY: Catchment Characteristics

	Main Rivers and tributaries
	The Gourits River is formed by the confluence of the Gamka and Olifants Rivers, south of Calitzdorp.
	The Olifants River is fed by 12 tributaries, originating in the Groot Swartberge and the Kammanassieberge.
	The Gamka is fed by numerous tributaries, originating in the Nuweberge.
	The Buffels River, rising from the Nuweveld Mountains, joins the Groot River, along with the Touws River from the west. The Groot River then joins the Gourits.
	The total river length of the Gourits River is approximately 1 045km.
	It enters the Indian Ocean about 33km south-west of Mossel Bay (35º 21‘S; 21º 53’E).
	The Gourits River Catchment stretches from the Karoo in the north, to the coast in the south. It is the third largest catchment in South Africa and comprises approximately 45 000 km².
	Dams
	There are 10 large dams on the Gourits River of which the Floriskraal Dam (62 900 000m³) on the Buffels River, the Gamkaspoort Dam (54 300 000m³) on the Gamka River, the Kammanassie Dam (32 900 000m³) on the Kammanassie River and the Stompdrif Dam (61 200 000m³) on the Olifants River are the most important (Ref. 2).
	River run-off

	Geomorphology
	The grain size of the sand spread along the whole sandspit and the adjacent beach in 1987 was medium and ranged from 210 to 468 microns, with a mean grain size of 342 microns. (Ref.1.)
	Geology