Ecological impacts of small dams on South African rivers Part 1: Drivers of change–water quantity and quality
- Mantel, Sukhmani K, Hughes, Denis A, Muller, Nikite W J
- Authors: Mantel, Sukhmani K , Hughes, Denis A , Muller, Nikite W J
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , report
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/438099 , vital:73435 , ISBN 1816-7950 , https://wrcwebsite.azurewebsites.net/wp-content/uploads/mdocs/2398.pdf
- Description: Impacts of large dams are well-known and quantifiable, while small dams have generally been perceived as benign, both socially and envi-ronmentally. The present study quantifies the cumulative impacts of small dams on the water quality (physico-chemistry and invertebrate biotic indices) and quantity (discharge) of downstream rivers in 2 South African regions. The information from 2 South African national data-bases was used for evaluating the cumulative impacts on water quality and quantity. Physico-chemistry and biological data were obtained from the River Health Programme, and discharge data at stream flow gauges was obtained from the Hydrological Information System. Multivariate analyses were conducted to establish broad patterns for cumulative impacts of small dams across the 2 regions–Western Cape (winter rain-fall, temperate, south-western coast) and Mpumalanga (summer rain-fall, tropical, eastern coast). Multivariate analyses found that the chang-es in macroinvertebrate indices and the stream’s physico-chemistry were more strongly correlated with the density of small dams in the catchment (as a measure of cumulative impact potential) relative to the storage capacity of large dams. T-tests on the data, not including sam-ples with upstream large dams, indicated that the high density of small dams significantly reduced low flows and increased certain physico-chemistry variables (particularly total dissolved salts) in both the re-gions, along with associated significant reductions in a macroinverte-brate index (SASS4 average score per taxon). Regional differences were apparent in the results for discharge reductions and the macroin-vertebrate index. The results suggest that the cumulative effect of a high number of small dams is impacting the quality and quantity of wa-ters in South African rivers and that these impacts need to be systemat-ically incorporated into the monitoring protocol of the environmental wa-ter requirements.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mantel, Sukhmani K , Hughes, Denis A , Muller, Nikite W J
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , report
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/438099 , vital:73435 , ISBN 1816-7950 , https://wrcwebsite.azurewebsites.net/wp-content/uploads/mdocs/2398.pdf
- Description: Impacts of large dams are well-known and quantifiable, while small dams have generally been perceived as benign, both socially and envi-ronmentally. The present study quantifies the cumulative impacts of small dams on the water quality (physico-chemistry and invertebrate biotic indices) and quantity (discharge) of downstream rivers in 2 South African regions. The information from 2 South African national data-bases was used for evaluating the cumulative impacts on water quality and quantity. Physico-chemistry and biological data were obtained from the River Health Programme, and discharge data at stream flow gauges was obtained from the Hydrological Information System. Multivariate analyses were conducted to establish broad patterns for cumulative impacts of small dams across the 2 regions–Western Cape (winter rain-fall, temperate, south-western coast) and Mpumalanga (summer rain-fall, tropical, eastern coast). Multivariate analyses found that the chang-es in macroinvertebrate indices and the stream’s physico-chemistry were more strongly correlated with the density of small dams in the catchment (as a measure of cumulative impact potential) relative to the storage capacity of large dams. T-tests on the data, not including sam-ples with upstream large dams, indicated that the high density of small dams significantly reduced low flows and increased certain physico-chemistry variables (particularly total dissolved salts) in both the re-gions, along with associated significant reductions in a macroinverte-brate index (SASS4 average score per taxon). Regional differences were apparent in the results for discharge reductions and the macroin-vertebrate index. The results suggest that the cumulative effect of a high number of small dams is impacting the quality and quantity of wa-ters in South African rivers and that these impacts need to be systemat-ically incorporated into the monitoring protocol of the environmental wa-ter requirements.
- Full Text:
Ecological impacts of small dams on South African rivers Part 2: Biotic response – abundance and composition of macroinvertebrate communities
- Mantel, Sukhmani K, Muller, Nikite W J, Hughes, Denis A
- Authors: Mantel, Sukhmani K , Muller, Nikite W J , Hughes, Denis A
- Date: 2010
- Language: English
- Type: text , Article
- Identifier: vital:7095 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012437
- Description: This paper investigates the cumulative impacts of small dams on invertebrate communities in 2 regions of South Africa – the Western Cape and Mpumalanga. Previous research found reduced discharge, increased total dissolved salts, and a decrease in average score per taxon (ASPT; collected using SASS4 methods) at sites with high density of small dams in their catchment. These changes in ASPT are investigated using the invertebrate abundance data available in the River Health Programme. Multivariate analyses found differences in invertebrate communities in rivers with high densities of small dams in their catchment in foothill-gravel streams (in both Western Cape and Mpumalanga) and in foothill-cobble streams (in Western Cape only). Opportunistic taxa that are tolerant of pollution, and capable of exploiting various habitats, and those that prefer slower currents increased in numbers, while other taxa that are sensitive to pollution and disturbance declined in numbers. Some regional differences were noted possibly reflecting climatic differences between the regions. Since the results of this study are correlative, it highlights the need for a systematic (by sites and seasons) and detailed (at species level) collection of data to verify the results of cumulative effects of small dams. This can further the development of a framework for small-dam construction and management that will limit their impact on river catchments.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mantel, Sukhmani K , Muller, Nikite W J , Hughes, Denis A
- Date: 2010
- Language: English
- Type: text , Article
- Identifier: vital:7095 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012437
- Description: This paper investigates the cumulative impacts of small dams on invertebrate communities in 2 regions of South Africa – the Western Cape and Mpumalanga. Previous research found reduced discharge, increased total dissolved salts, and a decrease in average score per taxon (ASPT; collected using SASS4 methods) at sites with high density of small dams in their catchment. These changes in ASPT are investigated using the invertebrate abundance data available in the River Health Programme. Multivariate analyses found differences in invertebrate communities in rivers with high densities of small dams in their catchment in foothill-gravel streams (in both Western Cape and Mpumalanga) and in foothill-cobble streams (in Western Cape only). Opportunistic taxa that are tolerant of pollution, and capable of exploiting various habitats, and those that prefer slower currents increased in numbers, while other taxa that are sensitive to pollution and disturbance declined in numbers. Some regional differences were noted possibly reflecting climatic differences between the regions. Since the results of this study are correlative, it highlights the need for a systematic (by sites and seasons) and detailed (at species level) collection of data to verify the results of cumulative effects of small dams. This can further the development of a framework for small-dam construction and management that will limit their impact on river catchments.
- Full Text:
Ecological impacts of small dams on South African rivers Part 2: Biotic response–abundance and composition of macroinvertebrate communities
- Mantel, Sukhmani K, Muller, Nikite W J, Hughes, Denis A
- Authors: Mantel, Sukhmani K , Muller, Nikite W J , Hughes, Denis A
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , report
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/438087 , vital:73434 , ISBN 1816-7950 , https://wrcwebsite.azurewebsites.net/wp-content/uploads/mdocs/2354.pdf
- Description: This paper investigates the cumulative impacts of small dams on inver-tebrate communities in 2 regions of South Africa–the Western Cape and Mpumalanga. Previous research found reduced discharge, in-creased total dissolved salts, and a decrease in average score per tax-on (ASPT; collected using SASS4 methods) at sites with high density of small dams in their catchment. These changes in ASPT are investigat-ed using the invertebrate abundance data available in the River Health Programme. Multivariate analyses found differences in invertebrate communities in rivers with high densities of small dams in their catch-ment in foothill-gravel streams (in both Western Cape and Mpuma-langa) and in foothill-cobble streams (in Western Cape only). Opportun-istic taxa that are tolerant of pollution, and capable of exploiting various habitats, and those that prefer slower currents increased in numbers, while other taxa that are sensitive to pollution and disturbance declined in numbers. Some regional differences were noted possibly reflecting climatic differences between the regions. Since the results of this study are correlative, it highlights the need for a systematic (by sites and sea-sons) and detailed (at species level) collection of data to verify the re-sults of cumulative effects of small dams. This can further the devel-opment of a framework for small-dam construction and management that will limit their impact on river catchments.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mantel, Sukhmani K , Muller, Nikite W J , Hughes, Denis A
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , report
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/438087 , vital:73434 , ISBN 1816-7950 , https://wrcwebsite.azurewebsites.net/wp-content/uploads/mdocs/2354.pdf
- Description: This paper investigates the cumulative impacts of small dams on inver-tebrate communities in 2 regions of South Africa–the Western Cape and Mpumalanga. Previous research found reduced discharge, in-creased total dissolved salts, and a decrease in average score per tax-on (ASPT; collected using SASS4 methods) at sites with high density of small dams in their catchment. These changes in ASPT are investigat-ed using the invertebrate abundance data available in the River Health Programme. Multivariate analyses found differences in invertebrate communities in rivers with high densities of small dams in their catch-ment in foothill-gravel streams (in both Western Cape and Mpuma-langa) and in foothill-cobble streams (in Western Cape only). Opportun-istic taxa that are tolerant of pollution, and capable of exploiting various habitats, and those that prefer slower currents increased in numbers, while other taxa that are sensitive to pollution and disturbance declined in numbers. Some regional differences were noted possibly reflecting climatic differences between the regions. Since the results of this study are correlative, it highlights the need for a systematic (by sites and sea-sons) and detailed (at species level) collection of data to verify the re-sults of cumulative effects of small dams. This can further the devel-opment of a framework for small-dam construction and management that will limit their impact on river catchments.
- Full Text:
Towards revised physically based parameter estimation methods for the Pitman monthly rainfall-runoff model
- Kapangaziwiri, Evison, Hughes, Denis A
- Authors: Kapangaziwiri, Evison , Hughes, Denis A
- Date: 2008
- Language: English
- Type: text , Article
- Identifier: vital:7088 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012417
- Description: This paper presents a preliminary stage in the development of an alternative parameterisation procedure for the Pitman monthly rainfall runoff model which enjoys popular use in water resource assessment in Southern Africa. The estimation procedures are based on the premise that it is possible to use physical basin properties directly in the quantification of the soil moisture accounting, runoff, and recharge and infiltration parameters. The results for selected basins show that the revised parameters are at least as good as current regionalised sets or give satisfactory results in areas where no regionalised parameters exist.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Kapangaziwiri, Evison , Hughes, Denis A
- Date: 2008
- Language: English
- Type: text , Article
- Identifier: vital:7088 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012417
- Description: This paper presents a preliminary stage in the development of an alternative parameterisation procedure for the Pitman monthly rainfall runoff model which enjoys popular use in water resource assessment in Southern Africa. The estimation procedures are based on the premise that it is possible to use physical basin properties directly in the quantification of the soil moisture accounting, runoff, and recharge and infiltration parameters. The results for selected basins show that the revised parameters are at least as good as current regionalised sets or give satisfactory results in areas where no regionalised parameters exist.
- Full Text:
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