Buffels River (North Cape)

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Buffels River
Buffelsrivier
Data
location Northern Cape , South Africa
River system Buffels River
source undefined, designation according to confluence
29 ° 53 ′ 28 ″  S , 18 ° 5 ′ 51 ″  O
muzzle at Kleinzee in the Atlantic Ocean Coordinates: 29 ° 40 ′ 39 "  S , 17 ° 3 ′ 5"  E 29 ° 40 ′ 39 "  S , 17 ° 3 ′ 5"  E

length 149 km
Catchment area 9460 km²
Reservoirs flowed through no
Medium-sized cities Springbok
Small towns Nababeep, Okiep
Communities Kleinzee, Rietfontein

The Buffels River ( Afrikaans Buffelsrivier ) in the Namakwa District of the South African Province of Northern Cape is a body of water that flows episodically at large intervals, the course of which appears in the landscape mainly as a dry bed with groundwater flow . The estuary is on the Atlantic Ocean near the village of Kleinzee .

description

The Buffels River has two headwaters with their own names. These are the Brak River and the Riembreek River. With the confluence of the two watercourses (dry valleys) the further course is called Buffels River. The source rivers arise in the mountains east of Kamassies and in the vicinity of the Nourivier farm .

The upper course with several episodically descending tributaries lies in the area of ​​the western slope of the Namaqualand plateau. The valleys have cut into the altitude. The Brak River and the Riembreek River together form the Buffels River in this mountainous region. The river bed only has an above-ground water flow after very heavy rainfall. Its catchment area is eighth in the Cape according to the area used.

The estuary near the village of Kleinzee once formed an estuary with an area of ​​95 hectares and has dried up except for a residual lake with fresh water . The estuary is separated from the Atlantic by a sandbar ( bar ) and is rarely washed over by sea water. The coastal dunes here reach a height of up to 9 meters and the terrain initially slopes slightly towards the interior.

The water flow of the Buffels River is very irregular and usually occurs at longer intervals. Since 1925, the history of the river's flood has been characterized by a decrease in the extent and frequency of extreme floods, with the flood discharge in the period from 1500 to 1921 being five times greater than the largest recorded floods in the period from 1965 to 2006. Research results for the lowest catchment section suggest that there was significant flooding in June 1920 and June and July 1924, and likely small floods in August 1938 and July 1951.

The mining company De Beers controlled the Buffels River estuary until 2011 because it was one of the most important diamond deposits in South Africa. On both sides of the estuary, past mining activities have significantly changed the landscape and thereby reduced the natural aesthetics of the natural estuary. From the mouth to at least 5 kilometers inland, the north bank of the river is flanked by mining heaps. The soils in this zone are particularly prone to erosion during periods of rain . As a result, the otherwise dry river bed can be washed in and its morphology can change.

The golf course in Kleinzee was laid out in the floodplain of the river, which, with all its facilities, had a significant impact on the hydrological system. Since gray water from the locality is used to irrigate the lawn , the vegetation community has changed and a reed belt has formed as a result, which reduced the remaining open water spaces.

The Namaqua National Park and the Goegap Nature Reserve are partly in the catchment area of ​​the Buffels River. According to their natural location, they belong to the semi-desert biome of the succulent caroo . This area has the highest biodiversity of succulent plants in arid areas in a worldwide comparison.

Tributaries

Due to the arid conditions prevailing in its catchment area, the tributaries are also episodically descending watercourses that emerge in the landscape as dry valleys. The most important tributary watercourses or dry valleys include:

  • Brak River (right)
  • Riembreek River
  • Drodaprivier (right)
  • Wolwepoort (left)
  • Stryrivier (right)
  • Skaaprivier (right), headwaters south of Steinkopf

Water use

Landscape on the middle reaches

Despite the dry bed, the course of the river carries a considerable amount of groundwater, which has been and is used intensively by neighbors. Major users include copper and diamond mining companies in the middle lower section. The village of Kleinzee is supplied with groundwater from a withdrawal point about 10 kilometers above its estuary.

There is a strong groundwater flow in the middle course of the Buffels River. A pump was installed here, with which water was taken from the groundwater reservoir and transferred via a pipeline to the copper mining area of Okiep and Nababeep, 27 kilometers away . Agriculture is also practiced in this section of the valley thanks to the favorable groundwater conditions.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e Pete Fielding: Situation Assessment Report towards Development of an Estuary Management Plan for the Buffels Estuary . (National Department of Environmental Affairs), East London 2016. online at www.namakwa-dm.gov.za (English, PDF), PDF p. 10, doc. P. 1.
  2. ↑ a b to OSM and wego.here.com
  3. ↑ Pete Fielding: Draft Management Plan for the Buffels Estuary . East London 2017, p. 7.
  4. ^ Pete Fielding, Situation Assessment Report . 2016, PDF p. 16, doc p. 7.
  5. ^ Pete Fielding, Situation Assessment Report . 2016, PDF p. 20, doc. P. 11.
  6. ^ Pete Fielding, Situation Assessment Report . 2016, PDF p. 44, doc. P. 35.
  7. ^ Pete Fielding, Situation Assessment Report . 2016, PDF pp. 44–45 Doc pp. 35–36.
  8. ^ Pete Fielding, Situation Assessment Report . 2016, PDF p. 36, doc p. 27.
  9. ^ Pete Fielding, Situation Assessment Report . 2016, PDF pp. 19–20, doc. Pp. 10–11.
  10. ↑ Traugott Molter: Water balance and irrigation agriculture in the Cape . Franz Steiner Verlag, Wiesbaden 1966, p. 34.
  11. ↑ Nama Khoi Local Municipality: Nama Khoi Municipality Draft Integrated Development Plan 2018/2019 . at www.namakhoi.gov.za (English, PDF), PDF document pp. 40–41.