One expects that the longest river in Africa south of the
Zambezi, would end in spectacular fashion when it eventually reaches the ocean.
Surprisingly, it is not so.
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| The road from Port Nolloth to Alexander Bay. |
With a total length of 2,200km, the Orange River is the
longest river in South Africa. It originates as the Senqu River in the
Drakensberg mountains of Lesotho at an altitude of 3350m, flowing westwards
through South Africa and ends at Alexander Bay in the Atlantic Ocean, more or
less half-way between Cape Town and Walvis Bay. The main tributary along the way
is the Vaal River. A smaller tributary,
the Fish River in Namibia, joins the Orange River in the lower catchment.
The river flows into the Gariep Dam,
largest dam in South Africa, and then into the Vanderkloof Dam. Along its way,
it forms borders between South Africa and Lesotho, and between the Free State,
Eastern Cape and Northern Cape. Further downstream, just west of Upington, it
crashes down the 60m high Augrabies Falls, before acting as the border between
South Africa and Namibia for the last 400km to its mouth.
The river, one of few perennial rivers in southern Africa,
is the source for
extensive irrigation activities, especially in the flatter areas on the western
side. There are no crocodiles or hippos in the Orange River which makes it a
sought after river for recreation and adrenalin action sports.
The wetland
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| The Orange River Mouth as seen from the Namibian side. |
The Orange River Mouth is a Ramsar wetland
and a typical wetland by definition. There is very little evidence
of a river in flood, as the water was slowed down into multiple channels,
making it difficult to see or pinpoint the actual mouth.
The importance of the site becomes even more apparent when
one considers the fact that the next nearest coastal wetland is the Olifants
River mouth, some 400km to the south in South Africa, and Sandwich Harbour,
500km to the north in Namibia.
The area designated as a Ramsar site comprises the estuary of
the Orange River before it reaches the Atlantic Ocean, between the river mouth
and the Ernest Oppenheimer Bridge that links the border towns of Oranjemund in
Namibia and Alexander Bay in South Africa. While the exact boundaries of the
Ramsar site are somewhat unclear, the South African section of the wetland covers
approximately 2000 hectares while the remaining 500ha falls within Namibia.
The Orange River Mouth can be described as a delta type river
mouth which comprises a distributor channel system between sand banks covered
with pioneer vegetation, a tidal basin, the river mouth and the saltmarsh on
the south bank of the river mouth. At
times the Orange River flows directly into the Atlantic Ocean, but sometimes
its access to the sea is blocked by sandbars.
The Orange River Mouth falls within the winter rainfall area
of southern Africa, receiving between 11 and 88mm of rain per annum.
The two Ramsar wetlands on both sides of the Orange River
virtually overlap and share many common traits and challenges.
Ramsar criteria
The Orange River Mouth is regarded as the 2nd most important
estuary in South Africa in terms of conservation importance after the Knysna
Estuary. In Namibia it represents one of three globally important coastal
wetlands (the others being Walvis Bay lagoon and the Kunene River mouth). It
supports several fish and bird species that are listed in the Namibian, South
African or international red data books.
More specifically, it supports more than 1% of the world
population of three species of waterbirds that are endemic to southern Africa,
namely the Cape Cormorant, Hartlaub’s Gull and Damara Tern. It also supports
more than 1% of the Southern African populations of six species of waterbirds,
namely the Black-necked Grebe, Lesser Flamingo, Chestnut-banded Plover, Curlew
Sandpiper, Swift Tern and Caspian Tern.
It is regarded as one of the most important coastal wetlands
in southern Africa in terms of the number of birds supported, at times
supporting more than 20,000 waterbirds of between 50 and 57 species. It is
consequentially also recognized as an Important Bird Area (SA030) and is the
only place where the near-threatened Barlow’s lark can be seen in Southern
Africa.
The Orange River Mouth is an important staging area for
Palaearctic migrants such as Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint and Common Ringed
Plover, and intra-African migrants such as Damara Tern and Lesser
Flamingo.
The Orange River Mouth on the South African side received its
Ramsar status on 28 Jun 1991. Following the collapse of the saltmarsh component
of the estuary due to adjacent diamond mining activities and flow regulation of
the Orange River as a result of dam construction, the site was placed on the *Montreux
Record in September 1995.
The Namibian side was declared a Ramsar wetland on 23 Aug
1995.
Diamonds
In 1908 the first diamonds were discovered along the west
coast of southern Africa at Kolmanskop near Lüderitz in Namibia. This led to
the subsequent prospecting at the Orange River Mouth where rich deposits were
discovered at Alexander Bay, South Africa, in 1926. These deposits proved so
rich that in 1927 the Government prohibited all further diamond prospecting on
state owned land in Namaqualand and started mining operations at Alexander Bay.
Later diamonds were also discovered and mined elsewhere along the vast
coastline, including areas in Namibia just north of the Orange River Mouth.
Alexkor is a government owned mining body that operates at
Alexander Bay in South Africa. Although mining is not as prevalent as in the
past, Alexkor has indicated plans to continue mining in the area well into the
middle on the century (2050).
 |
| The welcoming party to the author (3rd from left). |
Alexander Bay is a small diamond mining
town in a very arid, semi-desert location. Due to mining activities having been
scaled down to a large extent, parts of the town are almost deserted. Access to
the town is controlled by way of an entrance register.
Namdeb Diamond Corporation, a 50:50 partnership between the
Namibian government and De Beers Centenary, has the mining right to mine
diamonds a few kilometers north from the Orange River Mouth. Oranjemund town
was subsequently established. You need a
pre-arranged permit to get past the gated security entrance of the town that
falls inside the restricted area known as the Sperrgebiet.
 |
| Oranjemund - centre of town. |
Mining activities were scaled down and
there are even talks that access to the town can be opened up to enhance
tourism. The town is in good shape. It is clean and green with irrigated lawns
that are well kept. Oryx antelope can be seen in the streets. Residents and
businesses enjoy free water and electricity courtesy of Namdeb, but this may
end early in 2016 when the town becomes governed by an elected town council.
Land ownership and
management
The South African section of the Ramsar site was previously
owned and managed by the mining company Alexkor for many years. Following a
land claim by the Richtersveld Community Property Association, the community
was reinstated with the right to ownership of the land. In collaboration with
the Northern Cape Department of Environment and Nature Conservation, proposals
have been put forward for more effective management of the Ramsar site. New
legislation in 2008 recognized estuaries as a marine environment and thus the
management mandate now lies with national government, Department of
Environmental Affairs, who is in the process to proclaim the mouth as a marine
protected area.
The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) is the South African
implementing partner for the international project called ‘A water secure future for southern Africa: Applying the Ecosystem
Approach in the Orange-Senqu basin.’ EWT is a Non-Governmental Organisation
and has undertaken to provide support to the provincial and national
departments responsible for the management of the site. They undertook to build
capacity within the local community and implement various activities outlined
in the ‘Strategic Management Plan for the
Orange River Mouth Ramsar Site.’
This is all very confusing and does not provide a clear
picture of who is actually responsible for what. As with many other Ramsar
wetlands in South Africa, land ownership issues and the accompanying uncertainty
in management mandates over the years, left the South African side of the
Orange River Mouth unmanaged for most of the time. I hope that the involvement
of the Endangered Wildlife Trust will assist to find a suitable management
system for the long term.
The wetland on the Namibian side of the Ramsar site forms
part of a large protected area— the Sperrgebiet National Park. Namdeb, the
mining company in the protected area, also managed the town of Oranjemund. But
the town is now excluded from this area and transferred back to the Namibian government.
The Ministry of Environment and Tourism are therefore now formally responsible
for the management of the Namibian section of the Ramsar site.
Recreational and
tourism offerings
At the time of our visit (October 2015),
there were not sufficient recreational activities and amenities that will
attract tourists from far away.
The Alexkor golf club is still active in
Alexander Bay, albeit mainly for employees of the company. Old signs for a
couple of guest houses are still visible but there are not really accommodation
options in the town.
It is difficult to reach the actual mouth
on the South African side. Without an off-road permit, one cannot drive there.
The only way is to walk the 2 to 3 kilometers on the beach and over sand dunes
– not within the capability of most tourists.
The old bird hide is still there, but it is
difficult to reach and it is overlooking the old dried-up oxidation ponds.
Fishing (both freshwater and estuarine) is
permissible with the appropriate permits. The catch mainly comprises silver and
dusky kob, white and west coast steenbras, and elf. Use of boats is also
permitted in the estuary, although currently restricted to just a few locals.
 |
| Entrance to Oranjemund Golf Club. |
On the Namibian side things look a little
bit brighter. The impressive Oranjemund Golf Club on the banks of the Orange
River close to the mouth is an obvious attraction. It is well maintained and
with Oryx antelope appearing on most of the fairways, this is a unique way to play
golf.
The community do fish in the Ramsar site provided they have
permits which are obtainable from the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine
Resource’s local office in Oranjemund. No permits are required to drive on the beach.
No bird hides exist although there are birds worth watching
in the area.
The
roads alongside the river towards the mouth are accessible by most sedan cars
and provide excellent viewing of birds on the estuary islands.
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| "Op My Stoep" as seen from Swartkop. |
Guesthouses are available in Oranjemund and include those
operated and used by NAMDEB and a limited number of private concerns. Other
recreation facilities are the Oranjemund Yacht Club, Oranjemund Off-road Club
and Oranjemund Riding Club.
Pink Pan is situated between Oranjemund and
the river mouth. Strangely, it does not form part of the Ramsar wetland and
because it is inside the restricted Sperrgebiet, it cannot be visited by casual
visitors.
 |
| Ernest Oppenheimer Bridge linking South Africa and Namibia. |
Swartkop Nature Reserve is basically a small hill overlooking
the town of Oranjemund and its surroundings. It is situated just outside the
Namibian border post and can be visited anytime by anyone. It provides a magnificent
view of the Sir Ernest Oppenheimer bridge, the Orange River and its mouth.
Threats
The major threat to this wetland is the loss of inflow of
water and sediment through human manipulation of water in the Orange River
catchment. The two major extant dams
(Gariep and Vanderkloof) on the middle reaches of the Orange River, already
limit floods in the lower Orange River. Development of further dams and
diversion of flow in the headwaters as part of the Lesotho Highlands Scheme are
likely to further reduce water availability in the Orange River Mouth.
Construction of the proposed Neckartal dam in the lower Fish River in Namibia
will further compound this situation because the Fish River is currently the
main source of floods at the Orange River Mouth.
With more than 20 major dams and numerous weirs within its
catchment, river inflows to the Orange River Estuary have been markedly reduced
with only an estimated 44% or less of natural flows still reaching the system.
There are other minor threats such as the diamond mining
activities, access roads to the beach and access control to the Ramsar
wetlands. Most of these should be resolved with proper management.
Many plans
According to various management plans for both sides of the
Ramsar wetland, future developments will focus a lot on tourism. Although only
plans on paper at this stage, it includes the following:
·
The region has the
potential to offer a unique product, in terms of pristine diversity and
un-spoilt arid environment. Further potential has been identified based on the
desert, mountain and ocean scenery, as well as the bird life hosted in the
estuary.
·
Marketing and
developing the area as a regional destination that offers visitors a variety of
nature and culture-based attractions as well as accessible cross-border
linkages and tour routes.
·
Oranjemund and Alexander
Bay have been identified as development nodes to support the unlocking of the
tourism potential in the area. Both towns will also be logical access points
into the Sperrgebiet National Park when this is opened for tourism activities.
·
The Ramsar wetland
at the Orange River Mouth has high tourism value for specialist bird watching
tourists. Bird hides and other bird watching facilities at appropriate places
in the Ramsar site need to be established.
·
Golfing & other
sports facilities.
·
Fishing, both
freshwater and marine species e.g. smallmouth and largemouth yellow fish, white
steenbras, mullet etc.
·
Diamond mining tours.
·
Existing airstrips
are to be found at Upington, Springbok, Alexander Bay and Oranjemund. These
airstrips provide the infrastructure to deal with potential higher demand.
·
Applying for
Alexander Bay Airport to regain national status.
·
Upgrading the
regional road network.
·
Improving the
connectivity with the Richtersveld National Park.
·
Linking Oranjemund
and Lüderitz in Namibia.
·
Refurbish existing
infrastructure and/or develop new accommodation options.
·
The establishment of
a campground on the Orange River that provides an overnight stop for self-drive
tourists at a location close to Oranjemund.
As mentioned many times before in articles of the SA RAMSAR
project, it is my belief that well controlled eco-tourism can improve the
general state of Ramsar wetlands and contribute to its conservation. Let’s hope
these plans for the Orange River Mouth are implemented soon.
Date of visit: 20 October 2015
*The
Montreux Record is a register of wetland sites on the List of Wetlands of
International Importance where changes in ecological character have occurred,
are occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of technological
developments, pollution or other human interference. It is maintained as part
of the Ramsar List.
Sandwich
Harbour is a natural tidal lagoon, squeezed between dunes from the
Namib desert and the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean, 55 kilometers
south of Walvisbay in Namibia, inside the Namib-Naukluft National
Park. The large, shallow lagoon is surrounded by sand dunes up to 100
meters high, and is only accessible by 4x4 vehicles when tides and
general wave conditions allow.
The
only roads leading to Sandwich Harbour are heavy 4x4 sand tracks on
the narrow beach during low tide, or changing tracks over the dunes
during high tide when the sea water runs right up to the bottom of
the dunes. This all makes for an unique off-road driving experience
with breathtaking sceneries.
Sandwich
Harbour is world famous for its abundant birdlife. The area hosts
upwards of 70,000 birds, mostly seasonal migrants from the northern
hemisphere. Guaranteed, common bird sightings include big flocks
of flamingo, pelicans, grebes, as well as a huge variety of terns and
waders such as the red data bird species Damara tern and the
Chestnut-banded plover.
The !Nara plant is the most significant plant in the Sandwich
Harbour Area, providing shelter as well as food and water through its
fruit. 
