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GOURITZ ESTUARY: Physical Features |
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Topography |
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Generally, the topography at the mouth is
described as a flat featureless topography (Ref. 1). |
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Bathymetry |
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Obstructions |
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In 1981 no man-made obstructions were present in the estuary, which restrict the flow of water (Ref. 6). |
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A low-level bridge across the river, about 8 km upstream of “Die Eiland”, was washed away during the floods in 1981. It was replaced by a new, better constructed bridge, with a higher elevation, further upstream in 1983. |
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During 1987 a group of riparian land owners constructed an illegal, earth weir across the river, approximately 1.5 km upstream of “Die Eiland” near the head of the estuary. The effect of this obstruction was not yet determined by 1989, but it was suspected that it could cause increased erosion of the river bed and should the weir be washed away or damaged, it could result in increased siltation in the estuary below the site of the weir. It could also alter the water chemistry and result in desalination above the weir, and increased salinity below the weir, which in turn, could result in changes in plant and animal communities. The brackish water upstream of the weir contributes to the increased mineralization of the adjacent agricultural soil (Ref. 1). |