Lower Orange report back

[will101]

Our outfit visited the river 4-8 April - exploring the water between viools and Aussenkehr. What was immediately apparent to all of us is the health of the river here being a lot better than below aussenkehr (" the grape farms"). There is a lot of insect life under the rocks and you don't see the grey/white muck on the rocks. I would like to know what the f happens in that intensive grapefarm section causing the water to deteriorate like that?

[DJR]

Our outfit visited the river 4-8 April - exploring the water between viools and Aussenkehr. What was immediately apparent to all of us is the health of the river here being a lot better than below aussenkehr (" the grape farms"). There is a lot of insect life under the rocks and you don't see the grey/white muck on the rocks. I would like to know what the f happens in that intensive grapefarm section causing the water to deteriorate like that?

The reason the river is healthy for a large part of that is simply that it cannot be reached from the road and the only access is by kayak. So, with few people around it stays healthy.

Without any specific research I would bet on the following negative influences from a farmlike that:
1. Ectacting so much water that in low season the flow below it is reduced to an unhealthy level
2. Agricultural chemicals getting into the river from human error, windblown spray, water run off after rains
3. 40 000 seasonalworkers fishing the living daylights out of the riveranywhere within reaching distance
4. Rubbish and sewerage getting into the river from inadequate facilities in a squatter camp that size


Glad to hear you had a good trip. Personally I'm in a bit of a bad spot at the moment. I had a bad bicycle crash and broke my shoulder. Had an op and now doing physio. Cannot even pick up a flyrod, let alone cast! Not sure I'll be able to paddle for many months, although the orthopod says it will be a great exercise to strengthen the shoulder - does that sound like an incentive to organize an expedition after winter? Yes!

[will101]

Cannot even pick up a flyrod, let alone cast!

That sucks man hopefully you are sorted by now! So many missions that still need execution. More Orange, a VDK trip, a Kavango trip, Breede mouth, and this year I also want to visit the garden route / Plett area.