TECHNICAL MEETING ON RESERVE DETERMINATION TECHNICAL MEETING ON RESERVE DETERMINATION

TOTAL OUTFLOW STRATEGY:WWTTOTAL OUTFLOW STRATEGY:WWT

Venue: NATIONAL TREASURY Venue: NATIONAL TREASURY

Date: 24 JUNE 2014Date: 24 JUNE 2014

Time: 10:00 – 16:30Time: 10:00 – 16:30

PRESENTATION CONTENT

Water Resource Protection Reserves completed and being conducted

in the Mvoti to Umzimkulu WMA Monitoring action plan Next steps

ResourceProtection Water Use

Water LawPrinciples

EfficientEquity

Sustainability

IWRM

Economic Welfaregrowth

Poverty eradicationSocial up-liftment

Resource health

Goods and services

WATER RESOURCE PROTECTION

THE PURPOSE OF RESOURCE DIRECTED MEASURES (RDM)

Ensure long term use of the water resources for current & future generations Quality and quantity

Informs water use authorisation (e.g licenses) and conditions

Setting the management objectives in terms of: Water Quality Water Quantity River, estuaries and wetland habitat

and biota (living organisms)

For different uses of water (domestic, industrial, agricultural etc.)

To maintain good human health & the health of those living organisms (plants, animals, microbes etc.) existing in the water.

For meeting basic human needs (drinking, bathing, cooking etc.)

Maintain the natural functioning of ecosystems to produce its goods and services and prevent human and resource loss (i.e prevent flooding, pollution, eradicate poverty, water education, planning, monitoring etc)

The focus is to set achievable protection measures by Classifying and determining the Reserve and Resource Quality Objectives (RQOs) –” To Develop for the environment to maintain the ecological infrastructure”

PROTECTION OF WATER RESOURCES

RESERVE DETERMINATION

Step Description

1Delineate the units of analysis and Resource Units, and describe the status quo of the water resource(s) (completed).

2 Initiation of stakeholder process and catchment visioning (on-going).

3Quantify the Ecological Water Requirements and changes in non-water quality ecosystem goods, services and attributes.

4 Identify and evaluate scenarios within the integrated water resource management process.

5 Evaluate the scenarios with stakeholders and determine Management Classes.

6 Develop draft RQOs and numerical limits.

7 Gazette and implement the class configuration and RQOs.

Integrated steps combining the NWRC, RQO and Reserve processes

INITIATEAND DEFINE STUDY AREA

DETERMINE RESERVE

COMPONENTS(wetlands, river)

DEFINE RESOURCE

UNITS

SELECTEWR SITES

ECOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION:PES, EIS, RANGE

OF EC

SET OBJECTIVE FOR EACH EC

QUANITFY EWRREQUIREMENTS FOR

EACH SCENARIO

MODEL TO ESTABLISHIMPACT OF EWR ON

AVAILABILITY

DEFINEOPERATIONAL

SCENARIOS(Consider impact

on yield &operationalconstraints)

DETERMINE ECOLOGICAL

CONSEQUENCES

DETERMINE SOCIO-ECONOMICCONSEQUENCES

DWAF DECISION ON OPERATIONAL

SCENARIO &MANAGEMENT CLASS

(CLASSIFICATIONSYSTEM)

DEFINE BIOTA &HABITAT ECOSPECS

AND TPCs FORSELECTED CLASS

DEFINE MONITORING PROTOCOL

1. Define Study 2. Resource Units

3. Ecological Classification

4. EWR Quantification5. Operational Scenario and Consequences

6. Decision Making

7. EcoSpecs and Monitoring

A

BC D

E

FGHI

JK

L

MN

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

8. Implementation Strategy

O.

Note: G-J requires input from other studies.L & N: Not part of the project

RESERV

E

CLASSIFICATION

RQOs

VALUE OF OPERATIONAL SCENARIOS?

• Scenarios are part of the EWR methods for estuaries and rivers when applying DRIFT.

• Should preferably be real, but can also be hypothetical.

• Estuaries: Need range of scenarios to ensure that one can test sensitivity of categories

• The scenarios determination as part of the Reserve process does not replace Classification – operational scenarios assessed in Classification is more comprehensive ito economic and social aspects.

• Scenarios in Reserve is basically to test sensitivities of the ecology to change and to provide some information for planning prior to Classification.

Therefore, the focus should be on highly likely scenarios as Classification will deal with the rest.

• A scenario is a definition or setting of all the factors (variables) that influence the water balance and water quality in a catchment and the system as a whole.

• Scenarios are used to assess different levels of water use and protection with the aim of finding a balance between ecological protection and utilisation of the resource.

WHAT ARE OPERATIONAL SCENARIOS?

The results of the river desktop EWR assessments at 158 desktop biophysical nodes are provided.

Detailed EWR assessments will be undertaken at 11 EWR sites which are key biophysical nodes.

There are 14 existing EWR sites where detailed EWR assessments are available

37 nodes where results will be extrapolated from EWR sites.

Sixty eight nodes will either be addressed by estuarine assessments or are located in protected areas and do not require EWR assessments.

2 High confidence Reserve for Mkomaas and Mvoti estuaries

Operational scenarios be evaluated on hot spot systems

RESERVE DETERMINATION

The Recommended Ecological Category for the estuaries of Mvoti to Umzimkulu WMA.

Estuary

National Importance Regional Importance Overall impor-tance

PES REC

Biodiversity Conservation Macro-phytes

Fish Birds

Little aManzimtoti

2 1

3

3 E D

aManzimtoti 3 1

3 1 3 D D

Mbokodweni 3 1

3

3 E D

Sipingo 3 1 5 3 1 5 F E

Durban Bay 5 5 5 4 5 5 E B

uMngeni 4 5 5 4 4 5 E D

Mhlanga 4 5 1 4 2 5 D B*

uMdloti 4 1 3 4 2 4 D C*

uThongathi 4 1

3 2 4 D D*

Mvoti 3 5

3 3 5 D D

RECOMMENDED ECOLOGICAL CATEGORY

Importance score Rating Comment

0 - 20 1 Little

20.1 - 40 2 Some

40.1 - 60 3 Important

60.1 - 80 4 Very important

80.1 -100 5 Extremely important

Ecological Categories (DWAF 2008).

Health Condition Description

A Unmodified, natural.

B Largely natural with few modifications. A small change in natural habitats and biota may have taken place but the ecosystem functions and processes are essentially unchanged.

C Moderately modified. A loss and change of natural habitat and biota have occurred but the basic ecosystem functions and processes are still predominantly unchanged.

D Largely modified. A large loss of natural habitat, biota and basic ecosystem functions and processes have occurred.

E Seriously modified. The loss of natural habitat, biota and basic ecosystem functions and processes are extensive.

F

Critically/Extremely modified. Modifications have reached a critical level and the system has been modified completely with an almost complete loss of natural habitat and biota. In the worst instances the basic ecosystem functions and processes have been destroyed and the changes are irreversible.

The Estuarine Health Index was calculated through consideration of the following components (DWAF 2008):

A. Abiotic B. Biotic

Hydrology (% change in MAR) Hydrodynamics and mouth condition Water chemistry (salinity and combined score for other variables) Sediment processes

Microalgae Macrophytes Invertebrates Fish Birds

Mvoti to Umzimkulu WMA Estuary hotspots with a 4 rating.

NAME PES Ecological Importance (rated 1- 5)

SCI (rated 1- 5)

WRUI (rated 0-

4) EWR Status

Kandandhlovu B 2 2.25 3 Potential focus

Vungu B 2 2.82 3 EWR done

Zotsha B 5 2.07 3 EWR done

uMkhomazi C 5 2.82 4 The focus of this study

Umgababa C 5 2.65 3 Potential focus

Sipingo F 3 1.65 3

Diversions of catchment for airport development

Durban Bay E 5 2.79 4 Harbour, non-flow related Issues

uMngeni E 5 3.82 4 EWR done

Mhlanga D 5 3.25 4 EWR done

uMdloti D 4 2.72 4 EWR done

uThongathi D 4 2.25 4 EWR done

Mhlali C 5 1.39 3 Potential focus

Bob's Stream B 1 1.39 3 Artefact of hydrological modelling

Mvoti D 5 1.32 4 The focus of this study

Estuaries EWR and recommendations

Mdloti EWR is 88.26 Tongati EWR MAR of 77.19 x 106 m3 Mhlanga Estuary EWR MAR of 12.4 x 106 m3, similar to the Reference Condition. No other scenario developed. Little amanzimtoti EWR ~3 x 106 m3 (remove most of discharged to achieve D). eziMbokodweni EWR: 38 x 106 m3 Estuary Scenario 5, i.e. the inflow scenario with removal of return flows and a minimum winter low flow of 0.005 m3s-1 is selected as the Recommended Ecological Flow Requirement for the Mbokodweni Estuary.

Mdloti: PES=DNMAR: Mdloti is 85.78 - Reserve specified EWR = 88.26 wat (102.89%) off nMAR = scenario 3 . Reserve is: Present discharges increased by 30 Ml/d (nutrient-free) with current demands and return flows, no irrigation demands considered. Base flows > in this scenario, the reason for the B hydrology score. Too little or to Much flow negative influence.  Current condition a very low D as a result of WWTW return flow. The REC is a C based on the additional flow minus nutrients.

Mdloti – Intermediate

Tongati - Intermediate  7 Scenarios evaluated•TONGATI PES = D. •The EWR did recommend a C, but none of the flow scenarios would get it in that category. •All ended in a D. The Recommended ‘Ecological Water Requirement Scenario’ for the Tongati Estuary is estimated at a MAR of 77.19 x 106 m3  (Future 1 – 4.9 Mm3 p.a. for Zimbali) BUT THEN a NUMBER of NON FLOW RELATED IMPACTS NEED TO BE CONSIDERED. •If not, it remains a D.•If interventions are put in place it will actually go up to a B easily as it is a small estuary that will respond well to management interventions. •Required actions: reduce anthropogenic influences such as flood plain development, sedimentation, the construction of illegal causeways and reduce nutrients from treatment water.

Mhlanga= Rapid 2003

•PES=D REC=B•Mhlanga to cap additional flow from WW discharge which is changing the characteristics of the mouth•nMAR van 12.4 (2003) - 13.34( revised flows 2014) . •Classification specialist workshop found that the Mhlanga had slipped in condition (negative trajectory),•REC of a B should remain. Mhlanga requires full protection according to the biodiversity targets set•In theory a total of 8.96 (22.3 - 13.34) should be reduced. In practise it depends on the nutrient loading into the system.•Estuary is very sensitive and only monitoring can show how it responds to reduced input and exactly how much can be taken out.

CLASS I CLASS II CLASS III UNACCEPTABLE

Natural Variation

Ecosystem in near natural state

Natural Variation

Ecosystem modified but still functioning - removal of weight results in a return to near natural conditions.

Natural Variation

Ecosystem significantly modified but still functioning - removal of weight results in a return to near natural conditions

Ecosystem completely modified. Will no longer return to natural conditions

THE RESERVE

Notes: In Class I the spring is in a near natural state. In Classes II and III, it’s shape is modified but it still functions as a spring. Beyond the Reserve it no longer functions as a spring. While it is possible to re-coil the spring, it is generally expensive. Highly modified systems may also lose species and genetic material which may be irreplaceable.

OVER UTILISATION OF A WATER RESOURCE

Mbokodweni and Little Toti both a PES of E ( not sustainable)

EWR

• RQIS – national monitoring programes– Eutrophication– Microbial– Chemical– Radioactivity– Toxicological– Ecosystems – rivers and estuaries– Different drivers and response indicators

Monitoring

Monitoring

• Critical data, i.e. continuous water level recorder data, for high

confidence EWR assessments are only available for the following

estuaries: uMkhomazi (U1T008), Mvoti (U4T011), uThongathi

(U3T008), uMdloti (U3T009), and Mlanga (U3T010).

• Flow data are only available for the first four estuaries.

Therefore, while all estuaries in the catchment are deemed

ecologically and socially significant, and sensitive to water

resources development, not all of them are under the same

degree of pressure.

• The relevant government departments are therefore strongly

urged to invest in the long-term monitoring programmes required

to undertake higher level confidence EWR studies on the

identified systems.

CURRENT MONITORING IN MVOTI TO UMZIMKULU WMA

• eThekwini meeting – DWA, eThekwini, DEA, Ezemvelo / KZN Wildlife – June 2014• Compilation of estuary monitoring matrix• Create partnerships for future monitoring – build on existing partnerships with Ezemvelo / KZN

Wildlife and Zinkwazi Consevancy• Zinkwazi• Nonoti• Mhlanga• Mgeni• Mpenjati• Mtamvuna

• Future estuarine monitoring• Mbokodweni?• Little Manzimtoti?• Mdloti?• To be determined after classification priorities been set

• Continuation with existing freshwater monitoring – RQIS national programmes – various stakeholders

MONITORING MATRIX

ESTUARY EXPECTED DEVELOPMENT

CURRENT LONG-TERM

MONITORING (YES/NO)

IF NO MONITORING

WATER LEVEL RECORD?

IF YES, WHICH LEVEL OF MONITORING AND WHICH ORGANISATION? RESERVES?

WHICH ORGANISATION, TO APPROACH OR

WILLING?MONIT REQ. TIER 1 (basic,

water quality)TIER 2 (RDM

protocol)

TIER 3 (Situation specific, user

specific)

LEVEL AND YEAR OF COMPLETION

TONGATI WWTW EXPAND, SAND MINING NO ETHEKWINI H2O QUALITY YES INTERMEDIATE,

2007

MDLOTIRAISING DAM, WWTW, SAND MINING

NO ETHEKWINI H2O QUALITY, QUANT YES INTERMEDIATE,

2007

MHLANGA SAND MINING YES YES EZEMVELO MER RAPID, 2004

MNGENI SAND MINING YES YES EZEMVELO RAPID, 2011

MVOTI DAM PROPOSED NO QUANT AND QUALIT YES INR, SAPPI COMPREHENSIVE, 2015

MBOKODWENI LITTLE TOTI

MONITORING MATRIX

ESTUARY EXPECTED DEVELOPMENT

CURRENT LONG-TERM

MONITORING (YES/NO)

IF NO MONITORING

WATER LEVEL RECORD?

IF YES, WHICH LEVEL OF MONITORING AND WHICH ORGANISATION? RESERVES?

WHICH ORGANISATION, TO APPROACH OR

WILLING?MONIT REQ. TIER 1 (basic,

water quality)TIER 2 (RDM

protocol)

TIER 3 (Situation specific, user

specific)

LEVEL AND YEAR OF COMPLETION

TONGATI WWTW EXPAND, SAND MINING NO ETHEKWINI H2O QUALITY YES INTERMEDIATE,

2007

MDLOTIRAISING DAM, WWTW, SAND MINING

NO ETHEKWINI H2O QUALITY, QUANT YES INTERMEDIATE,

2007

MHLANGA SAND MINING YES YES EZEMVELO MER RAPID, 2004

MNGENI SAND MINING YES YES EZEMVELO RAPID, 2011

MVOTI DAM PROPOSED NO QUANT AND QUALIT YES INR, SAPPI COMPREHENSIVE, 2015

MBOKODWENI LITTLE TOTI