Durban — The iSimangaliso Wetland Park has indicated that water levels in the park’s estuarine system have dropped.
iSimangaliso Wetland Park spokesperson Bheki Manzini said this was after the heavy rainfall that was experienced in KwaZulu-Natal during April and May which raised the water level of Lake St Lucia by 601.7mm and 203.5mm measured respectively. This was the highest rainfall measured for April since 1953.
Heavy rains resulted in the increase in water levels within Lake St Lucia which flooded local infrastructure at Siyabonga tourism centre such as jetties and some roads and picnic sites in False Bay.
“This has been the fullest the lake has been since Cyclone Domoina in 1984, which is almost four decades. This heavy rainfall affected the operation of the park as there were no basking areas for hippos and crocodiles and it was difficult to be seen by tourists on boats,” Manzini said.
He said the wetlands of both eastern and western shores were all inundated with water.
“The terrestrial animals find their grazing habitats underwater and they had to search further afield for additional grazing. The Mangrove trees; mainly Hibiscus and Acacia trees, continued to die as their roots have been flooded with water for many years. Some trees that are on the edges of the lake did stress and some died because of this flooding,” Manzini said.
He said the heavy rains also affected the park positively as it has catalysed resolving the issue of opening the estuary mouth. The water pushing from Umfolozi and Msunduzi rivers made it possible for the mouth to breach naturally on April 14, 2022.
“The issue of the estuary mouth opening has been a topical issue as various interest groups were airing their views about whether to breach artificially or to wait and give time for natural breaching,” Manzini said.
He said the lake level in the narrows of the lake had been full for a while now and after the rainfall in April, this was elevated to nearly 3m on the gauge plate at the St Lucia bridge.
Daily News