what happened to De Mond

[petercoetzee]

I dont think its as simple as a tidal issue. The seagulls and birds wont TOUCH the dead prawns lying around all over the place.

A few guys like this were partially alive, but not strong enough to get back down their holes:

[fish]

Went to De Mond this past Sunday with some friends and family. I visited De Mond the first time around 1997 and have to say the place is not even a shadow of its former self. It is just plain sad.

There is a lot more silt built up and the prawn banks are covered with algae, not sea weed, hence very little inter-tidal organisms like prawns etc. The mud also has a bad smell. I called Pierre de Villiers yesterday and he was very determined to look into the cause of this.

Magrieta at the office said it is due to fertilizers from farming activities released into the system further up river and also due to the fact that they (CNC) no longer manage the sand movement at the mouth (used to pack wood monthly to prevent sand dune movement from wind, clogging up the mouth). Therefore the water is much fresher than before.

De Mond used to be a pristine system with a huge amount of aquatic life. I just hope this can be reversed somehow, how can a pristine system be messed up in a matter of a few years?

[Herman Jooste]

how can a pristine system be messed up in a matter of a few years?

Phillip, I know your anger.

We HAD a pristine system on the Vaal, below the Vaal Dam wall.

It survived 3 years of major flooding. This year it dissappeared over a week.

The final results are not out yet, if they ever come out!.

A whole section around 20km long is now devoid of indigenous fish, including sm & lm yellows. There is virtually NO insect life, we have turned over rock after rock and ZILCH.
Apparently a survey was done, reported on these forums, where the only fish found were a few carp and bass.

This area USED to give life to the Vaal Stonefly, amonhst other very scarce species of goggas.

What is going to happen about it ?

Shrugged shoulders maybe, if that

[swsmith]

Hi Philip....this Sounds like a Prime example of Why we should Try open these mouths artificially....surely if this was done it would help Flush this System properly....