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CLASSIFICATION OF SIGNIFICANT WATER RESOURCES IN THE OLIFANTS WATER MANAGEMENT AREA (WMA)

CLASSIFICATION OF SIGNIFICANT WATER RESOURCES IN THE OLIFANTS WATER MANAGEMENT AREA (WMA) OLIFANTS RIVER FORUM MEETING Date: 7 December 2012 Venue: Loskop Dam, Mpumalanga Time: 10:00. PRESENTATION CONTENT. Purpose of meeting Overview of the Classification Process

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CLASSIFICATION OF SIGNIFICANT WATER RESOURCES IN THE OLIFANTS WATER MANAGEMENT AREA (WMA)

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  1. CLASSIFICATION OF SIGNIFICANT WATER RESOURCES IN THE OLIFANTS WATER MANAGEMENT AREA (WMA) OLIFANTS RIVER FORUM MEETING Date: 7 December 2012 Venue: Loskop Dam, Mpumalanga Time: 10:00

  2. PRESENTATION CONTENT • Purpose of meeting • Overview of the Classification Process • Olifants Classification Study progress to date • Ecological characteristics • Water quality issues • Scenarios & Proposed Management Classes • Determination of RQOs • Stakeholder Engagement • Way forward

  3. To engage with conservation sector as key stakeholder on the Olifants WMA classification project To further demistify the process of scenarios development, evaluation and implications To provide the opportunity for sector to comment and raise issues To introduce the RQOs project PURPOSE OF THE MEETING

  4. Catchment Management Strategy Resource Management Strategy Source Directed Management Strategy Other strategies Compliance State End of pipe standards Management plans INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Catchment Vision Societal values and aspirations Desired state of water resources Catchment Assessment including current state Management Class Determine RQOs and Reserve Monitoring Water Use Control Strategic use; International obligations; future use; inter-basin transfers Allocation schedule (quality and quantity) Water use authorisations

  5. THREE MANAGEMENT CLASSES

  6. STUDY PROCESS: WHAT HAS BEEN DONE? • In accordance with the classification guidelines: 7 step process applies • Stakeholder Engagement • Set other scenarios (future states) and evaluate within the integrated water resource management context of WMA • Understand the implications of different protection levels • Assessment of WMA • Divided into catchment areas (IUAs) based on socio-economic/ • land use characteristics/ • water resources(IUAs) • Data assessed • Status quo understood • Ecological requirements of water resources understood and quantified • How much water does the ecology require for different protection levels • Models set up with ecological requirements and water requirements • Set and test a sustainable ecological protection levelscenario for water resources • Value and condition of water resources • Goods and servicesassessed • Economic Framework for decision making developed 3 1 2 4 5 6 Stakeholder engagement October 2010 to July 2012

  7. BACKGROUND TO THE OLIFANTS WATER MANAGEMENT AREA

  8. WHY THE NEED FOR CLASSIFICATION? • The Olifants WMA is a highly utilised and regulated catchment • Water resources are becoming more stressed due to an accelerated rate of development and the scarcity of water resources. • There is an urgency to ensure that water resources in the Olifants River catchment area are able to sustain their level of uses and be maintained at their desired states into the future.

  9. IMPORTANT FEATURES OF THE OLIFANTS WMA • Level of development in the area is influenced by the mineral deposits. • Main economic activity is concentrated in the mining and industrial centres of Witbank and Middelburg, near Phalaborwa and in the Steelpoort where a variety of minerals are found. • Some of the largest thermal power stations in the world are located in the Upper Olifants sub-area.

  10. IMPORTANT FEATURES OF THE OLIFANTS WMA • Extensive irrigation occurs in the vicinity of Loskop Dam, along the lower reaches of the Olifants River, near the confluence of the Blyde and Olifants Rivers as well as in the Steelpoort valley and upper Selati catchment. • Much of the central and north western areas of the WMA are largely undeveloped, with scattered rural settlements. • The Olifants River is one of the highly regulated rivers in the country, with several major dams constructed to supply water for different uses within the WMA.

  11. IMPORTANT FEATURES OF THE OLIFANTS WMA • There are a number of ecologically important areas within the Olifants WMA and various conservation areas have been proclaimed. • The most well known conservation area is the Kruger National Park (KNP) located in the Lower Olifants sub-area of the Olifants WMA. • There are also numerous pans and wetlands located in the Upper Olifants sub-catchment.

  12. DELINEATION OF IUAs • 13 IUAS Delineated within the Olifants WMA)

  13. INTEGRATED UNITS OF ANALYSIS (IUAs) (11) Ga-Selati River (7) Middle Olifants below Flag Boshielo Dam to upstream of Steelpoort River (10) Lower Olifants (12) Lower Olifants within Kruger National Park (5) Middle Olifants up to below Flag Boshielo Dam (13) Blyde River (9) Orighstad River (4) Elands River (8) Spekboom (6) Steelpoort River (3) Selons River (2) Wilge River (1) Upper Olifants 13 IUAs DELINEATED

  14. ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS • There are a number of ecologically important areas within the Olifants WMA (various conservation areas have been proclaimed). • Kruger National Park • Mohlapitse River (Wolkberg caves, Tufa waterfalls) • Important gorges, • Transition from highveld to lowveld • Treur River and upper Blyde (Kruger to Canyons biosphere), Selons River area, • VelorenVallei nature reserve • Steelpoort area - the transition from mountain to bushveld and the unique geology

  15. ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS • Important fish, habitat and biota present in many tributaries • Some of the smaller tributaries are ecological different to the main stem and larger tributaries. • Olifants main stem river is a ‘hardworking’ river • Creates complex challenges

  16. ECOLOGICAL CONDITION • Ecological assessment – 2001 (Reserve study) (16 sites) • Updates (reconnaissance, rapid assessments and desktop assessments) – 2010 • Ecological water requirements (EWRs) have been quantified • DWA Eco-classification methodology applied to assess ecological status

  17. ECOLOGICAL CONDITION 11 10 12 7 9 13 5 8 4 6 3 2 1

  18. PREVALENT WATER QUALITY ISSUES • Salinity related impacts due to mining, power generation and industries in the upper areas of the WMA are evident (EC and sulphate concentrations at unacceptable levels). • Acid mine drainage (Upper Olifants) • Impacts by sewage works discharges are also a problem in the upper catchment • There are specific water quality problems that were identified at Middelburg Dam, some areas in the Witbank Dam Catchment, Wilge River, Loskop Dam Catchment and in the Middle Olifants Catchment • Localised water quality problems are significant and still remain a major concern (Eutrophication problems, Microbiological pollution)

  19. IUAs IN WHICH ECOLOGICAL CONDITION IS INFLUENCED BY POOR WATER QUALITY IUA 11 Ga-Selati River Impacts from , mining, ubanisation. Some WQ deterioration in lower parts Upper Good WQ Lower reaches Unacceptable WQ E D IUA 5 Middle Olifants up to and below Flag Boshielo Dam Some water quality Impacts – land based activities Middle reaches unacceptable WQ (includes flow related impacts as well) E D E D • WQ is in E category: • Upper Olifants • Middle Olifants (middle reaches) • Lower reaches of Ga-Selati IUA 1: Upper Olifants Highly impacted – return flows/ discharges Unacceptable WQ

  20. ECOSYSTEM SERVICES ASSESSED • Water resources (rivers and wetlands) in the Olifants WMA provide a variety of ecosystem services: • Domestic water use • Grazing • Livestock watering • Harvested products • Carbon Sequestration • Tourism • Recreation • Aesthetic value • Education • Flood attenuation • Angling

  21. Set scenarios (future states) and evaluate within the integrated water resource management context of WMA • Understand the implications of different protection levels 5 DEFINE SCENARIOS FOR PROTECTION AND USE AND EVALUATE

  22. APPROACH FOLLOWED FOR SCENARIO ANALYSIS (1) • Confirmation of alternate scenario configurations • Select and implement required Ecological Water Requirement • This defines the target level of protection; and specifies the flow • regime at each node to achieve a particular EC (A, B, C or D) • Configuration of Yield Model • Configure and input data on water resources according to • scenario parameters • This includes water use, releases, infrastructure configurations, • operating rules. • Running of yield model (simulation) with scenarios (applicable parameters) • EWR and water use requirements

  23. APPROACH FOLLOWED FOR SCENARIO ANALYSIS (2) • Analysis of yield results: Water surpluses/deficits per IUA • Application of yield (water requirement) per scenario into economic model • Assessment of water quality implications of scenarios (fitness for use) • Assessment of Ecological consequences of scenarios

  24. SCENARIOS EVALUATED FOR THE OLIFANTS WMA

  25. SUMMARY OF SCENARIO IMPLICATIONS

  26. IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS • All scenarios will require: • Management of water quality, which includes source directed measures, regulatory and institutional structures. • Monitoring and compliance management. • Implementation and updating of the Reconciliation Strategy • Water Quality Management Plan • Scenario 6: • Additional mine water will be conveyed in the river system and requires management and monitoring to ensure that it reaches the required points in the system

  27. PROPOSED MANAGEMENT CLASSES Sc 4 and 6 (11) Ga-Selati River III (12) Lower Olifants within Kruger National Park (7) Middle Olifants below Flag Boshielo Dam to upstream of Steelpoort River II III (10) Lower Olifants II II (5) Middle Olifants up to below Flag Boshielo Dam III III I II (13) Blyde River III II (4) Elands River (9) Orighstad River III (8) Spekboom (6) Steelpoort River II PES EWR II (3) Selons River Implement EWRs: additional water needed water quality improvement cost of water may increase ecological protection occurs higher flow than EWR III (2) Wilge River (1) Upper Olifants

  28. IN SUMMARY • All scenarios will improve the system ecological health (by implementation of EWRs, additional flow, improved WQ in some cases) • A MC of III is an improvement from status quo (no water for the ecology at present) • In IUAs 1 (Upper Olifants), 7 (Middle Olifants) and 11 (GaSelati) current state is improved from an ecological category of E to a D (Class III).

  29. STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT • 3 Project Steering Committee meeting s • 2 Socio-economic Technical task team meeting • Stakeholder Consultation meetings • Technical Task Group meeting with MPTA and SANPARKS– Delineation of IUAs • SANPARKS – Representative in the Interdepartmental Inland Water Ecosystem Liaison Committee • All issues and responses are being captured in a register (ongoing) • Public 60 day comment period – Gazetting Process • Sector Engagement meetings in January 2013 • Variety of documents produced available on the DWA web site: www.dwa.gov/za/rdm/WRCS/default.aspx

  30. WAY FORWARD • In accordance with the classification guidelines: 7 step process applies • Prepare proposals for consideration by Minister of DWA (consideration of all input and comments): • Gazette proposed classes & RQOs (60 day comment period) • Stakeholder engagement • Understand scenarios and implications for the WMA • Recommendations for management classes • Determination of the RQOs 6 Steps 2 1 5 4 3 We are here

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