Dryland salinity: threatening water resources in the semi-arid Western Cape

Abstract

Increased dryland salinity in the Swartland and Overberg regions poses a threat to the bread basket of the Western Cape, water resources in an already water-stressed area, water supply to the industrialised Saldanha region as well as the ecology of the Berg River system. The Berg River, which flows between Franschhoek and Velddrif, is an important freshwater resource to the Western Cape. In the 1980s, the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) measured an increase in salt concentrations, particularly in the mid- to lower reaches of the river, thereby impacting on drinking water quality and agriculture.