Understanding the groundwater dynamics of the Rietvlei Wetlands will play a key role in guiding authorities on the best way to protect this valuable natural resource.
CPUT hydrological expert Dr Gaathier Mahed, along with researchers from the University of Stellenbosch, The City of Cape Town and an independent consultant is exploring the groundwater dynamics of the Rietvlei Wetlands, a 27 hectare reserve that lies between Table View and Milnerton Ridge in the suburb of Milnerton.
This area forms part of the Table Bay Nature Reserve and is one of the last functioning coastal lakes of the Western Cape.
STUDY: Hydrological expert Dr Gaathier Mahed
Mahed says the team is trying to gain a better understanding of the groundwater dynamics in order to determine its flow as well as the crucial interactions between soil, surface and groundwater.
“This is a very sensitive eco-system that is situated in the middle of a residential area. There are a lot of activities taking place in the area that impact on it,” he says.
“To protect it properly, you need to understand it..” “If you cannot measure it, you cannot manage it”
Mahed, who is based in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Studies, says this is the first time that such a study is undertaken on this area.
