5. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT. 5.1 Location and Topography

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1 Final al Impact Assessment Report for the Proposed Pumped Storage Power Generation 5. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 5.1 Location and Topography The preferred site is located in the Limpopo Province on the eastern escarpment of the Nebo Plateau, to the west of the Steelpoort River and is situated within the Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality, on the farms of Keerom 151 JS and Luiperhoek 149 JS. In addition, the extended route alternatives traverse the Mpumalanga Province. There is a difference in elevation of approximately 600m between the upper and lower reservoir sites. 5.2 Land Use The study area is largely rural in nature with rolling hills and valleys. The main land use features in the study area include agriculture (mainly in the form of citrus, vegetables and maize), low industrial development, various mining activities, residential areas and tourism. 5.3 Climate Precipitation and Evaporation Data Rainfall patterns in the area are typical of the eastern half of South Africa, with the highest rainfall occurring during the summer months (October to March). Annual rainfall for the area is approximately 878mm, with the highest 24-hour rainfall occurring in December. The study area comprises various properties, which are situated within the lower parts of the B41C Quaternary Catchment as well as within the middle to lower parts of the B41D Quaternary Catchment. The B41C Quaternary Catchment receives an annual average rainfall of 694 mm, the majority of which falls during the months of October to March, according to the Surface Water Resources of South Africa Report (Water Research Commission 1990). The month of January has the highest average monthly rainfall of mm. Mean annual evaporation for the region is 1500 mm. Frost occurs yearly for an average duration of 25 days per year, normally between May and September, but frost may occur as early as March and as late as October (Soil and Irrigation Research Institute, 1987) Temperature The average monthly temperatures for the region are provided in Table 5.1 below. The average maximum and minimum temperatures for the region are 20.3 degrees General Description of the Affected 5-1

2 Final al Impact Assessment Report for the Proposed Pumped Storage Power Generation Celsius and 7.3 degrees Celsius, respectively. The area generally experiences warm summers and cold winters. Table 5.1 Average monthly temperatures for the region (in degrees Celsius). Month T max T min January February March April 20 8 May 18 4 June 15 1 July 16 1 August 18 3 September 22 6 October 22 8 November December Reference: South African Weather Services, Geology The rocks in the area fall within the Bushveld Igneous Complex and comprise felsic rocks of the Rashoop Granophyre Suite overlying the mafic rocks of the Upper and Main Zones of the Rustenburg Layered Suite. The high plateau is underlain by granophyre in the south of the area and by mixed granite and granophyre in the north. These felsic rocks are several hundred metres thick and form the steep scarp slopes. Below the bottom of the scarp at the base of the felsic rocks is a leptite formation approximately 250m thick, dipping approximately 10 degrees westwards into the slope. This is in turn underlain by diorite beneath the pediment slope, grading into olivine-bearing diorite and gabbro beneath the valley floor. These mafic rocks underlying the leptite formation contain bands of anorthosite and magnetite, and all of the horizons dip around 10 degrees towards the west. All of the rocks discussed above have been intruded by dolerite/lamprophyre dykes, generally trending northeast (roughly parallel to the Steelpoort fault) and west of northwest (roughly perpendicular to the fault). 5.5 Soils and Agricultural Potential The soils that occur in the study area can be divided into three broad classes. These are summarised in Table 5.2 below. General Description of the Affected 5-2

3 Final al Impact Assessment Report for the Proposed Pumped Storage Power Generation Table 5.2 Soil Depth Unit (mm) Soil types in the study area General Characteristics Ms Brown to reddish-brown, structureless, sandy loam to sandy clay loam topsoil, often stony, on hard (occasionally weathering) rock. Rock outcrops occur in many parts of the map unit. Mainly soils of the Mispah (Ms) or Hutton (Hu, shallow phase) form. Sw Brown to reddish-brown, structureless, sandy clay loam topsoil on brown to reddish-brown, moderately structured, sandy clay loam to clay loam (occasionally calcareous) subsoil on rock. Occasional rock outcrops occur. Mainly soils of the Swartland (Sw), Valsrivier (Va) or Glenrosa (Gs) form. Oa Brown to reddish-brown, structureless, sandy loam to sandy clay loam topsoil on brown to reddish-brown, structureless to weakly structured, sandy clay loam, occasionally calcareous subsoil. Occurs close to stream channels. Mainly soils of the Oakleaf (Oa) form. Agricultural Potential Low Low to moderate Moderate Most of the upper and lower reservoir sites consist of shallow soils (Ms map unit), often rocky, either on the flat terrain on top of the escarpment or on the lower slopes. Close to the streams, a zone of deeper, alluvial soils occurs (Oa map unit), but this is usually no more than m wide, and often slopes steeply down to the stream in places. In the east of the lower reservoir site, some deeper, but more structured soils occur (Sw map unit), with varying depth and rockiness. No areas of high agricultural potential are present in the study area. 5.6 Geohydrology, Surface Water and Drainage and Groundwater The study area comprises of various properties, which is located within the B41D Quaternary Catchment. The properties involved are Portion 1 of the farm Keerom 151 JS for the upper off-channel reservoir and Portions 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7 of the farm Luipershoek 149 JS for the lower reservoir. The following characteristics have been noted for the B41D Quartenary Catchment: The general geology of these quaternary catchments comprises Bushveld Igneous Complex rocks and basic/mafic and ultramafic intrusives. Soils in this region vary from moderate to deep sandy loam, with steep relief. Vegetation for this area comprises of Savannah (Simplified Acocks Veld Types). General Description of the Affected 5-3

4 Final al Impact Assessment Report for the Proposed Pumped Storage Power Generation Geohydrology From a geohydrological perspective, the main points regarding the preferred site are as follows: Groundwater occurs typically in faults and shear zones. The aquifer type is intergranular (i.e. weathered) and fractured. The mean annual recharge is between mm per annum. The contribution of groundwater to the base flow of streams and rivers in the area is considered negligible. The average depth to groundwater is between 10 and 20 m. The harvest potential 1 for the Steelpoort area is seen to be between and m 3 /km 2 /annum. The factor restricting the harvest potential of the groundwater in this area is the limited effective storage. Recharge occurs regularly during most years but cannot all be absorbed into the aquifer because of the low storage. The limiting factor is how much groundwater can be stored in the wet season to bridge abstraction during the drier season Surface Water Quantity Catchment boundaries The study area is located within the Steelpoort River Catchment and its tributaries. The Steelpoort River Catchment drains into a northerly direction and eventually flows into the Olifants River. The boundaries of the catchment are occupied by some dense rural residential related activities, some small scale farming activities, as well as some game farming areas. Mean Annual Run-off (MAR) Water Research Commission publications (Surface Water Resources of South Africa- Volume 1) were used to obtain the Mean Annual Run-Off (MAR) for each Quaternary drainage region. The B41B Quaternary Catchment has an estimated MAR of 17.8 x10 6 m 3 per annum while the B41D Quaternary Catchment has an estimated MAR of 16.6 x10 6 m 3 per annum. Flood Peaks and Volumes Flood calculations were determined in the feasibility study. Water storage reservoirs were be classified according to Chapter 12 of the National Water Act, 1 The harvest potential is defined as the maximum volume of groundwater that may annually be abstracted per surface area of an aquifer system to preserve a sustained abstraction. General Description of the Affected 5-4

5 Final al Impact Assessment Report for the Proposed Pumped Storage Power Generation 1998 (Act 36 of 1998) and relevant Government Notices, as dams with a Safety Risk. Social, economic, and environmental impacts were used during the classification process. Freeboard and spillway sizes will be determined according to the relevant SANCOLD (South African National Commission on Large Dams) publications. 5.7 Wetlands Under the National Water Act (No 36 of 1998), wetlands are termed as land that is transitional between terrestrial and aquatic systems, where the water table is usually at, or near the surface. It includes the land that is periodically covered with shallow water, and which land in normal circumstances would support vegetation typically adapted to life in saturated soil. Wetlands are classified as water resources, and as such are protected and should not be subject to any pollution or damage. It is therefore, imperative that the proposed development should in no way disturb, damage or alter the characteristics of wetlands that may occur on the site. No wetlands were found to occur within the footprint of the proposed scheme (except for a small area in the vicinity of the lower construction village). Wetland (hydric) soils were found to exist just to the east of the footprint of the proposed lower construction village. A number of wetlands are located close to the upper reservoir, and may be affected if the construction footprint extends towards them and accordingly a buffer has been drawn around these wetlands, into which the construction footprint and associated infrastructure must not extend. 5.8 Biodiversity Fauna A large number of fauna (mammals, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates) could possibly occur on the preferred site (upper and lower reservoir). In addition, the Groothoek Greeff Private Nature Reserve is located a short distance to the north of the preferred site and it is envisaged that, some of the species that occur on the Private Reserve are likely to migrate to suitable areas surrounding the site Flora The study area is located on two different vegetation types described by Low and Rebelo (1998): Mixed Bushveld (18); and Moist Sandy Highveld Grassland (38) General Description of the Affected 5-5

6 Final al Impact Assessment Report for the Proposed Pumped Storage Power Generation Mixed Bushveld, as is deduced from the name, represents a great variety of plant communities, with many variations and transitions. The vegetation varies from a dense, short bushveld to a rather open tree savanna. The Moist Sandy Highveld Grassland is found in the sandy plains west of the Belfast-Carolina-Ermelo area, and north of Volksrust in Mpumalanga, at an altitude of 1,600 to 1,800 m. The grassland is dominated by Eragrostis plana, E. curvula, Heteropogon contortus, Trachypogon spicatus and Themeda triandra. The preferred site is located within the Sekhukhuneland Centre of Endemism, which is located within the rain shadow of the Drakensberg. Climatically this region comprises an arid (karoid) subtropical (lowveld) enclave surrounded by areas that are temperate (frost in winter) and much wetter (particularly towards the north, east and south) (van Wyk and Smith, 2001). A number of protected plant species occur in the Sekhukhuneland Centre of Endemism. 5.9 Archaeological and Heritage Resources A short overview of past human occupation in the region is presented below. This should provide insight into the complexity of the identified cultural resources Stone Age ( years ago to AD 200) The larger geographical area has been inhabited since Stone Age times. One of the more important sites, known as Bushman Rock Shelter, is located at Echo Caves north of Ohrigstad. Early humans lived here, discontinuously, for thousands of years, from the Early Stone Age (2 million to years ago), through what is known as the Middle Stone Age ( to years ago), and well into the Late Stone Age ( to years ago). Evidence that Stone Age people occupied the Steelpoort Valley is confirmed by the occurrence of stone tools dating to the Early, Middle and Late Stone Age. The majority of findings is classified as isolated surface occurrences, and mostly dates to the Middle Stone Age. Very few sites containing rock art are known from the larger geographical region and none were identified in the survey area Iron Age (AD 200 AD 1830) Iron Age people moved into southern Africa by c. AD 200, entering the area either by moving down the coastal plains, or by using a more central route. It seems more likely that the first option was what brought people into the study area. From the coast they followed the various rivers inland. Being cultivators, they preferred the rich alluvial soils to settle on. One of the earliest dated sites is located near Tzaneen (Silver Leaves). General Description of the Affected 5-6

7 Final al Impact Assessment Report for the Proposed Pumped Storage Power Generation Iron Age occupation of the study area seems to have taken place on a significant scale and at least three different phases of occupation have been identified. Sites dating to the Early Iron Age (AD 200 to AD 1000) were identified. Preliminary identification of the pottery indicates that it belonged to the Doornkop phase of the Early Iron Age, and should have a date of between AD This is the same group of people that produced the remarkable clay masks found near Lydenburg in the 1960s. These settlements seem to have been followed at a slightly later date by settlements linked to the Eiland Phase of the Early Iron Age (c. AD 1000). Early Iron Age sites are our only source of evidence for the occupation of the area by early farming communities. The last period of pre-colonial occupation consisted of Pedi-related and Swazispeaking and Ndebele-speaking people that settled on stone-walled terraced sites at the foot on the mountains. At present it is not clear, but, judging by the pottery found here, these sites might even date to early historic times Historic period (post ad 1840) The historic period started c. 1840s, with the arrival of the first white settlers. Negotiations between the trekkers and the Pedi resulted in the Steelpoort River becoming the border between the two groups. Later, tension developed between the two groups, giving rise to armed conflict. One of the better known incidents is the so-called Sekhukhune Wars (1876, 1879). Remains of this event can still be found in the larger geographical region. Other events that took place in the area included the so-called Mapoch Wars (1863, 1883) As time went by, the area was divided into farms. At first people were slow to undertake any development, preferring to use the farms for winter grazing as summers were too hot. In such cases, they established extensive camps and existed by hunting. It was only later that they started with crop farming. This was followed by a period when farmsteads developed, as well as infrastructure (e.g. roads) Visual The proposed scheme is located between the Nebo Plateau (Thaba Ya Sekhukhune) and the Steelpoort River Valley. The significance of the location from a visual perspective is the cliff of approximately 700m which flattens out as a plateau on top, and widens out into a valley at the bottom. The construction of a feature as huge and extensive as the proposed PSS introduces a highly General Description of the Affected 5-7

8 Final al Impact Assessment Report for the Proposed Pumped Storage Power Generation contrasting feature into the environment. The character of the study area in general reflects a high degree of natural veld, with human activities related to rural settlements. The escarpment-like topography of the area renders it a very high visual quality which will be impacted upon by the proposed development Noise The topography of the area will have some effect on the propagation of sound in the study area. The escarpment between the Nebo plateau and the Steelpoort River Valley tended to shield the upper areas to a large degree from noise generated in the valley and vice versa. Noise will tend to be channelled up and down the pronounced drainage valleys on the escarpment face. Noise will be easily channelled along the Steelpoort River Valley. The main meteorological aspect that will affect the transmission (propagation) of the noise is the wind. The wind can result in periodic enhancement downwind or reduction upwind of noise levels. Analysis of the wind records for the area indicates that the main prevailing winds blow from the north-eastern quadrant (48%). Approximately 11% of still periods are experienced annually. The wind directions will be modified by the orientation of the hills and valleys in the respective areas Social Demographics Limpopo Province The study area is defined as the area to the east of the Sehlakwane settlement that falls under the jurisdiction of the Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality (EMLM), which in turn is confined to the Limpopo Province. The Limpopo Province is located at the centre of regional, national and international developing markets and therefore has the potential for growth, however it is still one of the poorest provinces in South Africa. Black Africans are the predominant population group (97.3%) in this province. This is followed by Whites (2.4%), Coloureds (0.2%) and Indians/Asians (0.1%). Tsonga speakers account for a quarter (23.0%) of the province s population, followed by Venda (12.0%). Afrikaans is spoken by 2.6% of the province s population, while English-speaking people account for less than half a percent. Several ethnic groups are found amongst the population groups. With close to 57%, the Sepedi ethnic group makes up the bulk of the population. General Description of the Affected 5-8

9 Final al Impact Assessment Report for the Proposed Pumped Storage Power Generation Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality 2 The EMLM forms part of the greater district municipal area known as the Greater Sekhukhune District Municipality (GSDM). The EMLM lies to the south and southwest of the GSDM, on the western banks of the Olifants River. Table 5.3 below depicts the settlements that will be affected by the development of the proposed PSS in the Steelpoort area. These include the communities of Nkosini and Roossenekal. Nkosini was included in the study due to its proximity to Sehlakwane. It is also proposed that operational staff of the PSS could settle in Roossenekal, therefore Roossenekal was also included in the assessment. However, it should be noted that not all of these settlements will be directly affected. Indirect impacts on these settlements are mostly positive in nature and relates to issues such as employment creation. Mpumalanga Province The preferred site assessed in this EIR is located within the Limpopo Province, however, the impact of the PSS is not restricted to this province as the road alternatives assessed in order to gain access from the upper to lower reservoir sites traverse through the Mpumalanga Province. Figure 5.1 illustrates the location of the proposed PSS in the Steelpoort area in relation the surrounding communities. Table 5.3 Affected Settlements Settlement Ward Affected Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality Roossenekal Ward 16 Directly (housing during operation) Sehlakwane (± 1km from site) Ward 16 Directly (construction and operation) Mathula (± 5km from site) Ward 17/19 Indirectly (off-stream impacts) Nkosini (±15km from site) Ward 19 Indirectly (off-stream impacts) 2 Unless otherwise specified, the data contained in this section has been derived from the Municipal General Description of the Affected 5-9

10 Final al Impact Assessment Report for the Proposed Pumped Storage Power Generation Figure 5.1 Project location in relation to surrounding communities Socio-Demographic and Socio-Economic Profile of the Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality According to the Municipal Demarcation Board the total population of the EMLM is estimated at approximately people living in separate households, an average of 4.5 people per household. The projected growth rate for the period 2001 to 2010 is 1% per annum. Economic Sectors The local economy of the EMLM is largely dominated by agriculture, which contributes 25.2% of the local economy, mostly due to commercial farming. Subsistence farming only has a negligible contribution. The trade sector (21.2%) is the second highest contributor and Government (20.6%) is the third highest contributor. Municipal Services It would appear that more than a quarter of the households make use of coal for cooking (26.5%) and heating (34.0%). Despite this, the majority make use of electricity for lighting (84.1%). The EMLM does not seem to have an effective Demarcation Board ( The MDB make use of data from Census General Description of the Affected 5-10

11 Final al Impact Assessment Report for the Proposed Pumped Storage Power Generation and operational refuse removal system, since three quarters (72.8%) of the households make use of their own refuse dump for this purpose. Also, three quarters (75.9%) only have access to a pit latrine without ventilation. Close on one fifth (19.6%) have no access to piped water, followed by piped water within the yard (13.4%). A lack of sufficient municipal services has an impact on people s quality of life, and this makes them vulnerable. Infrastructure Roads and storm water management in rural areas fall under the control of the province. However, this is largely confined to stormwater control on the provincial main roads. Most roads are in a state of disrepair, with the provincial roads largely in need of resealing. This has a negative impact on the local economy. The area has two hospitals supported by health centres and clinics. The hospitals are in Groblersdal and Philadelphia (Moutse). These facilities are inadequate as the norms prescribe that one clinic is required for every people. The settlements within the EMLM that could potentially be affected by the proposed project are Roossenekal, Sehlakwane, Mathula and Nkosini. As previously mentioned, these wards are also discussed as part of the impact tables in the social rating matrix Directly Affected Communities Roossenekal and Sehlakwane can be regarded as directly affected communities, although Roossenekal will only be affected during operational phase with mostly positive impacts in terms of housing and municipal infrastructure development. Roossenkal and Sehlakwane consist mostly of young people, i.e. people under the age of 19 (60.8%). The total population is estimated at approximately people living in separate households, at an average of 4.7 people per household. The predominant population group is Black African (99.9%) with the remainder 0.1% being Coloured. Just over half (54.9%) of the total population is female Indirectly Affected Communities Mathula and Nkosini can be regarded as indirectly affected communities, who would mostly benefit from down-stream employment opportunities. Mathula is located approximately 5km from the proposed Pumped Storage Scheme site, whilst Nkosini is located some 15km away from the proposed site. General Description of the Affected 5-11

12 Final al Impact Assessment Report for the Proposed Pumped Storage Power Generation Land Use Profile The study area is largely rural in nature with rolling hills and valleys. The Sehlakwane village is widely dispersed and mostly characterised by formal housing structures. The area is serviced by two provincial roads, namely the R555 via Roossenekal and the R579 that runs through Sehlakwane. Municipal roads in the area consist mainly of gravel roads with very few tarred or semi-tarred roads. There is only one railway line which affects the study area, namely the railway line from the Mapochs Iron Ore Mine to Witbank. The area adjacent to Sehlakwane and the proposed site is characterised by subsistence dry land farming. Sehlakwane is the closest settlement to the proposed PSS and is located approximately 1km away from the site. The other affected areas are located between 5km to 15km away from the site. Farmhouses in the vicinity of the preferred site are mostly located along the road, as depicted in Figure 5.2 (the location of farmhouses are encircled along the road, the red areas indicate the location of the upper and lower dam). The displacement of persons is therefore not foreseen during the construction and operation of the proposed PSS in the Steelpoort area. Figure 5.2 Location of Farmhouses in relation to reservoirs General Description of the Affected 5-12

13 Final al Impact Assessment Report for the Proposed Pumped Storage Power Generation Land Claims Through a thorough consultation with the Mpumalanga and Limpopo Departments of Land Affairs and the affected Landowners, it was established that no claims were lodged on the farms Luipershoek 149JS and Keerom 151 JS, in terms of the Restitution of Land Rights Act, 1994 (Act No 22 of 1994) Traffic The Steelpoort River Valley under consideration is located between the Stoffberg to Phokwane provincial road (R579) and the Roossenekal to Steelpoort provincial road (R555). A map highlighting these roads together with the proposed access roads from the main provincial roads to the sites is shown in Figure 5.3 below. The proposed De Hoop Dam is located some 20km further north along the Roossenekal to Steelpoort Road (R555) near the Limpopo Province border at the tributary of the Steelpoort and Klip rivers. The R579 (Road P62-2), R555 (Road 169-1) and R579 provincial routes are not highly trafficked with daily volumes ranging between 600 and 2000 vehicles per day. With regard to other transport infrastructure, there is a railway line from Middelburg to Roossenekal, but this is the nearest rail terminal to the site. General Description of the Affected 5-13

14 Final al Impact Assessment Report for the Proposed Pumped Storage Power Generation Figure 5.3 Road infrastructure in the proposed study area General Description of the Affected 5-14

15 Final al Impact Assessment Report for the Proposed Pumped Storage Power Generation Figure 5.4 Road infrastructure in the proposed study area including the lower portions of R579 and R555 not included in Figure 5.3 General Description of the Affected 5-15

16 Final al Impact Assessment Report for the Proposed Pumped Storage Power Generation 5.14 Tourism The area of the Steelpoort River Valley in which the development is proposed to occur is largely undiscovered as a tourism destination, but the tourism potential exists. The Mpumalanga Tourism Authority has two tourism areas that meet roughly in the Steelpoort Valley. These areas include the Cultural Heartland to the west and the Highlands Meander to the east. This places the proposed development site close to an existing important tourism area, namely the Lydenburg trout fishing area which falls within the Highlands Meander area. Linkages to existing tourism areas are important to the future tourism growth in the area. The Kamoka Open Africa Route is also an important tourism route which links well with the Cultural Heartland area. The tourism industry in the Roossenekal area is presently (and previously) dominated by the business tourism sector due to the mining activities in the area. The land use of the area of the Steelpoort Valley in the vicinity of the proposed development area is traditionally agriculture with limited cultivation in the fertile areas adjacent to the Steelpoort River, and cattle ranching in the other areas of the valley. There are indications that these land uses are changing to tourism related activities including ecotourism, hunting and corporate team building. General Description of the Affected 5-16