BREEDE-GOURITZ CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT AGENCY
THE ECO-STATUS OF THE RIVERS
WITHIN THE GOURITZ RIVER CATCHMENT
T
he Breede-Gouritz Catchment Management Agency (BGCMA) has undertaken biomonitoring in the Gouritz sub-Water Management Area (WMA) for the purpose of implementation of the River Ecostatus Monitoring Programme (REMP) in the Western Cape. The aim of REMP is to determine the ecological status of the rivers in this catchment. This is achieved by sampling macroinvertebrates, using the South African Scoring System version 5 (SASS5) protocol. The sampling was done from June 2020 to February 2021. The Gouritz sub-WMA is situated along the southern coast of South Africa and extends inland across the Little Karoo and into the Great Karoo. The area covers about 53 140 km2 and includes the Gouritz River catchment, as well as the catchments of the smaller coastal rivers that lie to the east and west of the Gouritz River mouth.
The following rivers have been sampled: Doring, Touws, Buffels, Groot at J11J quaternary catchment, Groot River at J13C quaternary catchment, Gamka, Olifants, Kammanassie, Gouritz, Duiwenhoks, Goukou, Groot Brak, Malgas, Kaaimans, Diep, Karatara, Goukamma, Knysna, Gouna and Keurbooms. Most rivers in this subWMA are in a moderately modified condition (C ecological category), indicating a loss and change of natural
habitat and biota have occurred but the basic ecosystem functions remain unchanged. Some are in largely natural condition (B ecological category), indicating that a small change in natural habitats and biota may have taken place but the ecosystem functions are essentially unchanged, while others are and in-between, with a largely natural to moderately modified condition (B/C ecological category).
The Gouritz sub-WMA is situated along the southern coast of South Africa and extends inland across the Little Karoo and into the Great Karoo. The area covers about 53 140 km2 and includes the Gouritz River catchment, as well as the catchments of the smaller coastal rivers that lie to the east and west of the Gouritz River mouth.
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Municipal Focus
