Rand Water Press release Vaal River Barrage Flotilla event.
Vaal River
7th September 2024
The 7th September 2024 sees “Celebrating the Vaal River” - an event featuring the official opening of the Boating Season and the celebration of the successful removal of invasive aquatic weeds (water lettuce (pistia stratiotes) and water hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes) that invaded the Vaal River Barrage Reservoir earlier this year.
After many months of toil to remove the water lettuce and water hyacinth causing huge devastation to the entire community on the Vaal River Barrage, the coverage is down to less than 1 hectare on the Vaal River Barrage. Eventually in winter it was possible to see clear water and for the majority of the water body to be free of free-floating invasive species. This was achieved through the support of various stakeholders, starting with the Vaal River community, Rand Water, Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and others.
The scourge of water lettuce and water hyacinth fueled by relentlessly high levels of polluted water in the catchment of the Vaal River. This understood, the DWS is its efforts to reverse this by monitoring hotspots, assist and intervene with municipalities where possible and take legal action where required. This will further be supported by the Anti pollution forum that will meet on the 18th of September under leadership of Deputy Minister Isaac Seitlholo. This is part of an integrated plan revert the river and its tributaries back to a more healthy state and allow for biodiversity to be restored, for communities to enjoy and experience a cleaner environment and for business to flourish.
Rand Water (appointed and funded by DWS) has a proactive, preventative program going forward, to ensure the Vaal River Barrage reservoir never experiences the levels of invasive aquatic weed coverage as experienced earlier this year. They are also in the process of issuing several requests for quotation to undertake a variety of specialist work on the Vaal River Barrage that are all part of the preventative action plan going forward to reduce this regrowth and severely limit its spread. These activities link into the integrated approach as agreed to earlier this year. These activities include physical removal, chemical control and biocontrol. Where feasible curtaining will again be used to collect and abstract plants sooner than later. However it is envisaged to be partial curtaining of the water ways as was the case earlier this year. It is hoped that some this work will be able to commence in September 2024. Through the support of Rhodes university (Centre for Biological Control-CBC) three community rearing stations and one station at Rand Water have been set up to rear various biological control agents (weevils and hoppers), that have all been pre-approved as host specific feeders. Biological control will be used as a long term and ongoing natural control mechanism that will need to be supplemented annually.
The community have and continue to play an enormous role in the process of reducing the spread, curbing the growth curve and rallying together. This has come at a huge personal and financial cost to the community. This commitment and partnership is to be commended.
The flotilla event on the Vaal River Barrage is three fold, firstly to resurrect an annual event that occurred on the Vaal River Barrage to celebrate the opening of the spring and summer boating season, and secondly to celebrate the river clean of water lettuce and water hyacinth and finally to claw back the losses that were incurred to the many businesses along the Vaal River barrage that rely on and make a living through their direct contact and involvement on the barrage. This celebration is a tribute to the successful close working relationship between the Vaal River Community, Rand Water, the Dept of Water and Sanitation (DWS), Rhodes University, the Centre for Biological Control, Afriforum, Omnia and SAVE (Save the Vaal Environment) and FEDHASA.
Going forward, the Department of Water and Sanitation has appointed Rand Water as the official Implementing Agent to ensure that the Vaal River Barrage Reservoir never experiences what it went through earlier this year and has allocated R42 million over the next 3 years, along with a comprehensive proactive preventative programme.
The template for this successful collaboration of private sector with government entities in the successful removal of invasive aquatic weed – can hopefully be emulated at many other water sources in South Africa, who face this similar challenge.
Today’s celebration is significant – since not only is it an occasion to celebrate this successful collaboration between government, private sector and the community, but it is tourism month too – and the successful removal of the invasive aquatic weed is a significant boost for the rich tourism offerings along the Vaal River, which include dozens of river venues, resorts, hotels, casino, lodges, boat, fishing and golf clubs, water taxis, house boats, cruising restaurants, and luxury commercial cruisers.
For more information contact:
Dr. Leslie Hoy
Project Manager, Rand Water
lhoy@randwater.co.za
082 389 0302
