HELP NEEDED- Water Hyacinth

[Korrie]

that is the one I am talking about. (in layman's terms)

[Pipe]

I know there is a weir at Schoemans drift and another close to Wag 'n Beitjie.
Do any of you know the landowners or any other wiers?

Good day Korrie,

This venue is right at the Schoemansdrift wier: http://flyloops.net/showvenue.php?venue_id_search=54

[Korrie]

Good day Korrie,

This venue is right at the Schoemansdrift wier: http://flyloops.net/showvenue.php?venue_id_search=54

Many thanks, have phoned them, from your lead.

[adriaan]

Hi Korrie, while ago was talking to someone who was interested in composting waterhyacinths on a large scale to provide commercial volume of organic fertilizer. One of the points raised in his research is that the seeds are extremely hardy and can survive many years. So the risk of introducing the species into water courses where it did not previously occured was there. Something to keep in consideration if you progress with your plans, especially if you move raw material around. But otherwise awesome idea to utilise it.
cheers

[beefybovril]

Korrie, would it be viable to get it from KZN? There is far toooo much of the stuff at the headwaters of the Inanda Dam, and also at the Umgeni river mouth, but I guess transport costs would then have to be weighed up....but if you wanted it on a large scale, there is no shortage there for sure - and it would help the Dusi Marathon Committee. Maybe contact them or DUCT and you could come up with an arrangement.... or get Gauteng canoeists on board and they could bring it up for you after canoe races - of which there are many at this time of the year.....just a thought.

[Korrie]

This is a labour intensive, job if it is collected by hand. The laid out to dry and plaited.
I have spoken to one of the land owners, thanks to one of the forumers, and their reply was "the urbanisation of the workers on the farms have left almost nobody in the rural areas, to do such work. They would love to help, but don't think there is enough people left to do the work"

[Korrie]

Many thanks for all the posts and leads, i will follow up each and every lead.

[Korrie]

Korrie, would it be viable to get it from KZN? There is far toooo much of the stuff at the headwaters of the Inanda Dam, and also at the Umgeni river mouth, but I guess transport costs would then have to be weighed up....but if you wanted it on a large scale, there is no shortage there for sure - and it would help the Dusi Marathon Committee. Maybe contact them or DUCT and you could come up with an arrangement.... or get Gauteng canoeists on board and they could bring it up for you after canoe races - of which there are many at this time of the year.....just a thought.

Do you have any idea who I can contact?

[Korrie]

I thought I would give all the interested people some feed back and those who have been so kind to give me leads and info.

Although the water hyacinth is such a big problem, it is very difficult to get.
I have made many many phone calls, sent out emails etc.

a. in some areas the water hyacinth is being harvested and made into fertilizer.
b. in other areas the water hyacinth is harvested dried, put thru a mill and ground into finer peices. these fine peices are supplied free of charge to chicken farmers to line the floors of the massive industrial chicken farms. In return the supplier gets the chicken dung with the left over water hyaninth which is used as fertilizer and or cow feed.
c. some areas have a pro-active spraying program. as soon as the water hyacinth starts appearing, the helicopters comes and sprays poison on the plants, before the plants produce seeds.
d. no labour as the urbanisation of people have left no people to do such work

Getting the "right" plants, seems to be a MAJOR problem.
It seems that in most areas the water hyacinths are not such a "Big" problem as a couple of years ago, as a more pro-active management program have been adopted. Some clever and ingenous thinking have taken a problem plant and used it in very clever ways.

If there are any person with more contact numbers etc, please send, I will follow up all the leads.
MANY THANKS FOR THE HELP EMAILS ETC

[Shamwari]

I thought I would give all the interested people some feed back and those who have been so kind to give me leads and info.

Although the water hyacinth is such a big problem, it is very difficult to get.
I have made many many phone calls, sent out emails etc.

a. in some areas the water hyacinth is being harvested and made into fertilizer.
b. in other areas the water hyacinth is harvested dried, put thru a mill and ground into finer peices. these fine peices are supplied free of charge to chicken farmers to line the floors of the massive industrial chicken farms. In return the supplier gets the chicken dung with the left over water hyaninth which is used as fertilizer and or cow feed.
c. some areas have a pro-active spraying program. as soon as the water hyacinth starts appearing, the helicopters comes and sprays poison on the plants, before the plants produce seeds.
d. no labour as the urbanisation of people have left no people to do such work

Getting the "right" plants, seems to be a MAJOR problem.
It seems that in most areas the water hyacinths are not such a "Big" problem as a couple of years ago, as a more pro-active management program have been adopted. Some clever and ingenous thinking have taken a problem plant and used it in very clever ways.

If there are any person with more contact numbers etc, please send, I will follow up all the leads.
MANY THANKS FOR THE HELP EMAILS ETC

Have you tried crab patterns