Riebeeck Park Wetland – Barrier Traditional Cache
JanMich: Time to put this one to rest and open the area for other cachers to place a cache.
Riebeeck Park Wetland – Barrier
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Standing at the Barrier you will see the first of the Wetlands. You can park right next to the Cache. Watch out for Muggles at the petrol station.
The 44 ha wetland is a channelled valley bottom wetland that receives water from the Swartspruit and storm water drains. The wetland drains back into the Swartspruit through the centre of Kempton Park. The Swartspruit in turn drains east into the Rietvlei river, which flows into the Rietvlei Dam, an important source of water for Tshwane Metro. Land use in the catchment is mainly urban (residential, industrial and a golf course) but also includes an area of natural grassland. Because development has resulted in a much larger area of hardened surfaces, water flows into the system at high volumes and speeds, and there are consequently increased flood peaks. Channels in the wetland concentrate stream flow, which results in channel incision and headcuts. This has altered the system’s integrity and functioning, and threatens to destroy the remaining healthy sections of wetland. Pollution enters the system from a range of urban sources, including the Kempton Park Golf Course, residential areas, roads and a range of urban activities. Given the water pollution impacts on the river system, which used to include a sewage treatment works downstream of Riebeeck Park, the wetland’s water purification function is considered its most important ecological service. Rehabilitation intervention is designed specifically to address its ability to continue to provide this service. The upstream wetland areas are secured through stabilising headcut erosion and raising the water table within incised drainage channels.
A view of the wetland which has an abundance of bird life.
As this series is our first attempt at hiding caches all constructive criticism would be appreciated.
The container can only accommodate the log sheet. BYOP
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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