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VERLOREVLEI RIVER ESTUARY: Threats

Development pressure in the Verlorenvlei area has been concentrated along the coastline, in the vicinity of Elands Bay. The pressure is beginning to increase in the form of applications for township extensions (Ref. 10). The coastal environs attract weekend and holiday visitors, particularly in the summer, causing short term, seasonal increases in the demand for facilities.
The land and its vegetation cover have been degraded, mainly due to grazing and clearing of land for agriculture and rural settlement. Despite the long history of human use of the area for grazing and cultivation, the level of degradation is presently low enough to allow for natural rehabilitation, but the rate of degradation is escalating. For example, agricultural activities have led to interference with the natural function of the estuarine channel. The culverts in the causeway near the mouth have been blocked in order to dam fresh water for irrigation of recently cleared land.

Likely sources of threats in the future include (Ref. 1):

  • Existing and additional obstructions which interfere with natural estuarine and coastal lake dynamics.

  • Increases in domestic live stock, particularly goats.

  • The clearing of natural vegetation for the extension of agriculture.

  • ncreased extraction of underground water for irrigation.

 

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