About
The upper Riviersonderend catchment is critical from a water supply perspective, because the rivers draining these mountains feed Cape Town’s largest water supply Dam, Theewaterskloof. They also fuel a thriving fruit farming industry in the valley, which creates jobs for thousands of people living in nearby communities like Vyeboom. Furthermore, these rivers are a hotspot for endemic freshwater species such as the Giant Redfin – a newly-described species that occurs in only three rivers on the planet. This project aims to build up a picture of aquatic biodiversity, river habitat condition and threats in rivers flowing into the Theewaterskloof Dam.

Importantly, we are designing monitoring protocols to track changes in river health and biodiversity in response to rehabilitation efforts underway in the catchment, including large-scale clearing of alien pine trees. There is also a community outreach component to the project that involves raising freshwater awareness among multiple stakeholder groups from land-owners to farm workers. This is being approached through citizen science, art installations and local workshops in the valley.

Status
Current

Outputs

• Shelton J, Snaddon K, Paxton B. 2022. Monitoring freshwater biodiversity responses to invasive alien plant removal in catchments surrounding Theewaterskloof Dam. Prepared for The Nature Conservancy by the Freshwater Research Centre. 53 pp
• Shelton J, Snaddon K, Paxton B. 2021. Freshwater biodiversity and habitat monitoring at mainstem sites in the Theewaterskloof Catchment, South Africa. Prepared for The Nature Conservancy by the Freshwater Research Centre, August 2021. Pp 56.
• Snaddon K, Shelton JM, Frenzel P and Paxton BR. 2019. A Baseline Assessment for Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation in the Riviersonderend Catchment, South Africa. Report 1. River Health. Prepared for The Nature Conservancy by the Freshwater Research Centre. Pp 67.
• Paxton BR, Birkhead A and Tanner J. A baseline Assessment for Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation in the Riviersonderend catchment, South Africa. Report 2: Water Resources. Prepared for The Nature Conservancy by the Freshwater Research Centre. Pp 21.
• Rafferty M, Paxton BR, Bragg CA, Shelton JS, Snaddon K and Frenzel P. Baseline Assessment for Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation in the Riviersonderend catchment. Report 3: South Africa: Stakeholder Engagement and Analysis. Prepared for The Nature Conservancy by the Freshwater Research Centre. Pp 28.
• Shelton JM, Snaddon K, Paxton BR, Rafferty M and Frenzel P. 2019. A Baseline Assessment for Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation in the Riviersonderend Catchment, South Africa. Report 4: Threats and Interventions. Prepared for The Nature Conservancy by the Freshwater Research Centre. Pp 37.
• Shelton JM, Snaddon K, Paxton BR, Rafferty M and Frenzel P. 2019. Communities and Freshwater Ecosystems: Upper Sonderend River Catchment, Western Cape Province, South Africa. Final Report. Prepared for The Nature Conservancy by the Freshwater Research Centre. Pp 58.
• Snaddon K, Dietrich J, Forsythe K, Turpie J. 2018. Prioritisation of wetlands for water security in priority dam catchments in the Western Cape Water Supply System. Report submitted to The Nature Conservancy by the Freshwater Research Centre, October 2018. 82 pp.