Reed Removal and Maintenance

We are the community organisations involved with the Reed Management Programme in the Onrus River Estuary – Peter van Niekerk, OREF Onrus River Estuary Forum and Hennie Greeff from ORHA - Onrus Ratepayers & Home Owners Association We are making the video to give the community feedback on the reed programme, and, in light of recent allegations, to give an informative and correct account of our operations, and put the facts straight.

Why did we feel it necessary to remove reeds in the first place?

The need for reed eradication arose due to their excessive growth in the estuary caused by past interventions in the catchment upstream. The De Bos Dam upstream, as well as other water use, reduced freshwater inflows. Farming upriver caused an abundance of nutrients in the water. Reeds grew so vigorously that they out-performed all other species, resulting in the creation of a monoculture; reducing biodiversity; screening vistas and reducing recreational utility. Reeds were not the only issue affecting the Onrus Estuary negatively. In fact, most estuaries in the country are stressed. For that reason Government embarked on a programme to improve the management of estuaries in the early 2000s. Within this framework, the Estuary Management Plan (EMP) for the Onrus River was compiled in 2016. The consultants who performed the study of the Onrus River Estuary held a number of public participation events as part of the process to develop a vision for the future of the estuary. During this public participation there was a call for the reeds to be managed, as had previously been attempted, as for many years the community has found the reeds to be problematic. In addition to this, via the Homeowners, a fire risk concern was raised.

How did we go about addressing the reed problem?

We applied for approval from the relevant government departments, national, regional and local, including Overstrand Municipality. This process was very similar to doing an Environmental Impact Assessment, and involved the public and all relevant parties. This resulted in the creation of a Maintenance Management Plan (MMP), which, after a lengthly, comprehensive process was approved by the provincial environmental authorities. What did the implementation of the MMP entail in practice?

There was a strict Method Statement drawn up and approved, as well as an agreement with the Overstrand Municipality, the largest land owner, to permit us to work on their land. The Method Statement spelt out guidelines for the conditions, tools, time periods for cutting and removal, and the permissible herbicides. It recognized the breeding seasons of frogs and nesting birds. The eradication method involved a combination of manually cutting and removing, as well as the use of herbicides, under certain conditions. Skilled teams were trained and carefully cut and removed reeds, creating a more favourable environment for diverse native species to thrive.

What about the impression created that excessive herbicide was used?

This is simply not true. The process was that the reeds were cut in the dormant stage, when they were brown. New shoots emerge in Spring, and once they are at a height of about 1m (2 to 3 leaf stage) the herbicide was sprayed, with precision and accuracy to minimize waste and increase efficiency. The black areas have nothing to do with herbicide use. They are as a result of peat remnants deposited in the flooding event in September 2023. So what? What has the programme achieved so far? We have had an overwhelmingly positive response to the reed removal programme from the community. This was confirmed at a public meeting in 2023.

BirdLife AFRICA confirm the return of many bird species, and we expect this number to increase even more as appropriate foraging areas are re-established. The Birdlife CWAC count confirms this, and the number of species and bird population per species has increased. The fire risk has been addressed. We have a much wider diversity of grasses and sages growing on the river banks, where the ongoing reed removal has shown, in certain areas, that the reeds have been replaced by non-invasive native species. Vistas have opened up. Access to water for recreational use improved.

In conclusion, the Level 9 September Storm changed everything. The nature of the estuary has changed, and the Management situation needs to be reassessed, within the recent Catchment-to-Coast initiative. Both organisations remain committed to transparency and positive environmental impact.