Olifants River (Western Cape)

Coordinates: 31°42′S 18°13′E / 31.700°S 18.217°E / -31.700; 18.217
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the river in the western part of Western Cape Province. For other rivers, see Olifants River.
Olifants River
Western Cape Province
Physical characteristics
SourceWinterhoek Mountains
MouthAtlantic Ocean
 • location
near Papendorp
 • coordinates
31°42′S 18°13′E / 31.700°S 18.217°E / -31.700; 18.217
Length265 km (165 mi)
Basin size46,220 km2 (17,850 sq mi)

The Olifants River (

Ceres and the Cederberg mountains. The Clanwilliam and Bulshoek dams are located on the river and provide water for the towns and farms along the watercourse. The river is approximately 285 km long with a catchment area of 46,220 km2. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean at Papendorp, 250 km north of Cape Town
.

Watershed

The Olifants River rises in the

Clanwilliam
.

The river eventually drains into the Atlantic Ocean near

Papendorp. At the mouth the Olifants river is split in two by an island that exhibits interesting rock formations.[1]

Tributaries

Its main tributary is the Doring River, changing name as Melkboom/Oudrif before it joins the Olifants. The tributaries flowing from the east, such as the Thee River, Noordhoek River, Boontjies River, Rondegat River and the Jan Dissels River are typically perennial, except for the Sout River. Those flowing from the west, such as the Ratels River, Elandskloof River and the Seekoeivlei River are smaller and seasonal, not contributing much to the flow in the system.[2]

Dams

Dams in the catchment area of the Olifants River:

  • Clanwilliam Dam, with a storage capacity of 127,000,000 cubic metres (4.5×109 cu ft)
  • Bulshoek Dam, with a storage capacity of 7,500,000 cubic metres (260,000,000 cu ft)

The major towns below the Olifants/Doring river catchment include

Clanwilliam and Citrusdal
in the middle catchment areas.

Ecology

IUCN. At present it is so rare as to be jeopardized by angling or fishing and may not be killed or caught; a long-lived and slow-growing species, it needs several years to grow undisturbed but reaches an adult almost 40 cm after a decade. CapeNature has done trials to adapt it for aquaculture or fishery, but this requires better conservation of the river ecosystem. The Clanwilliam redfin ("P." calidus)[4] is another threatened and legally protected species found in the Olifants River; it is more[5]

The

ecological competitors, and until the Olifants River is sufficiently restored ecologically both might not be able to thrive at the same time.[7]

The Olifants River marks the northern limit of the

salmonids.[8] Other species that occur in the Olifants riverine system include Twee River redfin, (Pseudobarbus erubescens), Fiery redfin (Pseudobarbus phlegethon), Austroglanis barnardi, Clanwilliam rock-catfish (Austroglanis gilli), Chubbyhead barb (Enteromius anoplus), and Clanwilliam sandfish
(Labeo seeberi).

The most severe

sport fishing, it has become something of a pest by depleting the stocks of other fish species. Its eradication is encouraged under the Cape Action for People and the Environment
program.

Non-biological threats are mainly excessive removal of river water for irrigation, and the resultant toxic

agrumes). These are often grown right up to the river bank, without leaving sufficient natural vegetation to filter out pesticides and fertilizer and halt erosion, and thus causing both river and adjacent cropland to degrade.[9]

See also

References

  1. ISBN 9781919713243
  2. ^ Olifants/Doorn WMA 17
  3. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T2569A100148283.en
    . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  4. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T2562A100139530.en
    . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  5. ^ Impson & Swartz (2007ab)
  6. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T63290A100163027.en
    . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  7. ^ Impson & Swartz (2007b)
  8. ^ Albany Museum - Freshwater Ichthyology[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ Impson & Swartz (2007abc)

External links

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