The river has become known as an "insect Jurassic Park" since Grahamstown scientists discovered unique insect species in its crystal-clear water earlier this year.
Concerns have been raised by environmentalists that the demand for water by these projects will be an additional strain on the river, which the Bitou Council has confirmed will be polluted to some degree by the council's new 480-unit housing development nearby.
The Nature's Valley Trust has alerted the department of water affairs and forestry (DWAF) to the new threat. A spokesman for the trust, Julie Carlisle, has confirmed that the department has undertaken to investigate.
Carlisle told The Herald that the trust was aware that property developers were planning to draw water from the river to supply planned new developments of varying sizes in the Crags. She said the trust had written to DWAF about the situation, and the department had undertaken to do a Rapid Reserve Determination.
Meanwhile, six temperature monitors have been positioned in the river as the first step of an ongoing research and monitoring project to track pollution and the level of the river.
The river has been in the news since scientists from the Albany Museum in Grahamstown discovered twelve new aquatic insect species, and two whole insect "families", in its crystal-clear water. The scientists called for the area to be declared South Africa's first insect nature reserve. They found a new type of dragonfly with horns on the back of its head, a fly that swims around in its own silk "sleeping bag", and a "damsel fly" with black and white banded wings.
The scientists said they believed the insect colonies probably dated back to the time of the massive super-continent of Gondwanaland. They reported that the survival of the unique aquatic insects was probably because the river had remained pristine and unpolluted.
However, the Bitou Council is constructing a large new housing development at Kurland, near the river, and despite efforts to limit the development's impact on the river, a council official has warned that there will be some degree of pollution.
Bitou town planning chief Ludolph Gericke has pointed out that the land was bought by the Bitou Council specifically for housing, long before the insect discovery. "Obviously we want to cut down the risk of pollution as much as possible. But there is no way that we will be able to avoid it completely."
He added that the siting was "not ideal", but "it's what we've got to work with, practically speaking. We are treading a thin red line between the various interest groups."
Rob Moffat and Emma Straker, two volunteers from Willing Workers in South Africa (WWISA) have assisted the trust in producing a booklet about the Salt River, and the trust is in the process of establishing the river as an "outdoor classroom" in Nature's Valley.
Carlisle said during the school holidays the Adopt-a-Beach groups from the Crags Primary School and the Coldstream Primary School had "an enormous amount of fun" examining bugs and discovering the natural splendour of the Salt River gorge.
She also said the Redford Conservancy was involved in a trust project to remove invasive plants in the area, which could "assist greatly" in reducing the impact on the Salt River system.
Eastern Province Herald
Publisher: I-Net Bridge
Source: I-Net Bridge
