BACKGROUND
The area under investigation is the entire Luvuvhu and Letaba Water Management
Area (WMA) and parts of the adjacent WMAs. Most of the development in this water
management area is agriculture based, with strong contributions by irrigated
agriculture and afforestation. Areas under natural vegetation are mostly used
for livestock farming, with severe overgrazing experienced over large parts of
the water management area. Isolated mining developments are found in its
southern half.
Thohoyandou, Tzaneen and Giyani are the largest urban centres in WMA, with some
agro-based industries mainly at Tzaneen. The Kruger National Park (KNP) lies
along the eastern boundary and occupies approximately 35% of the Water
Management Area. Approximately 80-90% of the population can be described as
rural. A large proportion of the population depends on subsistence farming and
this makes availability of water a vital subject for consideration.
RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY
The WMA can be described as fully developed. The Letaba River currently exceeds
its yield capability. Regulation is provided by Middle Letaba, Ebenezer and
Tzaneen Dams. The construction of Nandoni/Mutoti dam and operating it together
with Albasini, Vondo and Damani Dams has led to full utilization of the Luvuvhu
River. A better understanding of the resource is needed and other alternatives
need to be investigated in order to bring back the system into balance.
The Limpopo Provincial Department of Agriculture (LDA) has embarked on a
programme of revitalizing of irrigation schemes that have fallen into disuse.
This has put reasonable pressure on the water resource. To further exacerbate
the situation, most urban and industrial developments, as well as some dense
rural settlements, have been established in locations remote from large
watercourses and in most cases these locations are perennially dry with no
surface water. As a consequence, water has to be delivered to these people or
other alternative sources have to be identified.
Thohoyandou was identified as one of the 26 areas key to the national economy,
but recently the town has been experiencing severe water shortages. The
completion of water treatment works at Nandoni dam is expected to ensure water
supply to a distant future, but without proper water resource management
strategies there will be no guarantees that the water supply situation will
significantly improve. This study will have to come up with the most efficient,
robust and sustainable strategies for operating the system. Furthermore, a
proper water demand and conservation plan should be formulated.
To date the Middle Letaba is in a serious water supply crisis, which has been,
aggravated by a series of draughts, coupled by poor water management practices
in the operation of the system. To ameliorate the situation the Department
together with the local authorities and water users are implementing a series of
actions, ranging from water restrictions, groundwater development to the
implementation of Water Conservation and Water Demand Management measures. These
actions are mainly to address the short term crisis. The reconciliation strategy
study aims at consolidating these actions together with long term strategies,
putting emphasis into detailed investigation of the water resources,
particularly groundwater.
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