Restrictions on the use of water for agricultural purposes in the Inkomati water management area (No. 1008 of 2003)

22 No. 25189 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 18 JULY 2003 DEPARTMENT OF WATER AFFAIRS AND FORESTRY ,/’ DEPARTEMENT VAN WATERWESE EN BOSBOU No. 1008 18 July 2003 RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF WATER FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSE5 I N THE INKOMATf WATER MANAGEMENT AREA. By virtue o f the powers vested in me under section 63 read together with section 72 of the National Water Act (No.36 of 1998), I, Arnold Michael Muller, in my capacity as Director General of the Oepartment of Water Affairs and Forestry : Believe that a water shortage exists in the Inkomati Water Management Area; and To maintain such a flow as may be specified by the Interim Inco-Maputo Agreement measured at Komatipoort Gauging Station (X2H036), of which the contribution from the Crocodile River and Komati River will be monitored separately; Direct in terms of I t em 6(l)(i) of Schedule 3 of the National Water Act, 1998 that as from the date of publication of this Notice: (i) The taking of water for agricultural purposes (excluding Schedule 1 use) from the water resources set out below and subject to the terms set out them under, reduced from a maximum rate o f four hundred and th i r ty seven cubic meters per week per hectare (437m3/week/ha) t o a maximum of one hundred and seventy six cubic meters per week per hectare (176m3/week/ha): Crocodile River and all its tributaries upstream of Kwena Dam Crocodile River and all its tributaries downstream of Kwena Dam excluding the White River and all its tributaries and the Sand River For which, and, Elands River and all its tributaries up t o the confluence Kaap River and all its tributaries up to the confluence Komati River and all its tributaries upstream of Swaziland Crocodile River Crocodile River with the with the Pumping hours may only be scheduled during Mondays t o Saturdays from 07h00 t o 16h30. Pumping on Saturdays may only take place with the recommendation of the Crocodile River Major Irrigation Board t o the Regional Oirector: Mpumalanga. Irrigation Boards may also implement shorter pumping hours t o meet the targets for the system as a whole. STAATSKOERANT, 18 JULIE 2003 No. 25189 23 MONTH May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 ScDtember 2003 Komati River and all its tributaries downstream of Swaziland up t o the Mozambique Border be restricted t o the following total peak water abstractions during the months May 2003 to September 2003 inclusive The measuring weir at Tonga must spill at all times with a volume that will be determined from time t o time and all in-stream storage weirs shall be maintained at spilling level: MAXIMUM TOTAL RATE OF WATER ABSTRACTION PER 1 Mhlamban yati River and Lomati River Left Bank Tributaries down stream of Mhlamban yati River 0,25 0,18 0;20 0,25 0,23 Permissible (cubic n Lomati River Lef t Bank downstream o f Mh lam banyati River, excluding the Lef t Bank Tributaries 0,67 0,50 0,54 0,67 0,62 CATCHMENT tres per seconc Lomati River Lef t Bank and the Left Bank Tributaries upstream o f Mhlambanyati River, and Lomati River Right Bank and the Right Bank Tributaries 0,42 0,36 0,39 0,47 0.44 :m3/s)) Komati River and the Tributaries between the Swazi land border and Tonga Gauging Station Komati River and the Tributaries downstream of Tonga Gauging Station (XlH003) (XlH003) 1,20 0,97 1,20 1,45 1,38 1,40 1,45 1,20 1,14 1,20 peak abstractions after 30 September 2003 will be published after a re-assessment of the water resources during August 2003. (ii) The taking of water for agricultural purposes (excluding Schedule 1 use) from Irrigation Board Canals set out below and subject to the terms set out there under must be reduced to the following to allow for a continuous abstraction over a seven-day period: Intake a t the Malelane Irrigation Board Canal may not exceed 1753 litres per second (Vs) Total intake for the Friedenheim Irrigation Board Canal may not exceed 350 litres per second (Vs) Intake at the Eureka Irrigation Board Canal may not exceed 160 litres per second (I/s) 24 No. 25189 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 18 JULY 2003 (iii) If the flow at Border Gauging Station (X2H036) decreases to less than the flow specified in terms of (b) above, all taking of water for irrigation purposes from the river below the required minimum must be suspended until the flow recovers. (iv) The taking of underground water for agricultural purposes in this Water Management Area must be reduced by 60% of the registered monthly average abstraction. GENERAL Irrigators who wish t o abstract during the Eskom of f - peak hours must apply through the relevant Irrigation Board or Water User Association t o the Regional Director: Mpumalanga, as the case may be, for the necessary approval. This Notice overrides any other or previous authorisation issued by the Department relating t o these areas. LU . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . ..I . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . DIRECTOR-GENERAL DATE