Lower Silvermine River #1: Eastside (Redux)
Note: the given coordinates are for Step 1 and not the final location!
This is the 4th incarnation of a multi in the eastern part of this fine little wildlife reserve which became necessary with the disappearance of the whole previous GZ area together with a wooded boardwalk traversing the wetlands during the severe winter 2023 storms. Also, several of the old Multi Steps items had gone and new ones were put in their place or added elsewhere.
Currently, extensive work is ongoing to clear the wetlands of much of the overgrowth of reeds and create more open areas favouring increased biodiversity. Sections of the river have been dredged or routed through gabion channels to improve the overall flow and reduce excessive silting up of the floodplain.
To Find the Cache:
Park @ or near S 34 7.733 E 18 25.982 kerbside on Hilton Road in the car park close to . . .
Step 1: nearby at S 34 7.746 E 18 25.979 is an information board on dragonflies and damselflies on which are A photos of dragonflies
Step 2: descend the steps and cross over the wetland via the stepping stones, which you may wish to count as you will need this information for Multi #2. Proceed up the far slope to S 34 7.779 E 18 25.952 where you will find an info board on the rare Western Leopard Toad (WLT). The number of these seen on the left hand of the 3 photos = B
Step 3: turn left (south) and follow the gravel track to S 34 7.818 E 18 25.986, the location of 2 info boards and 2 colourful mosaics. By looking at these you will note that . . .
a) The most serious enemy of the caterpillar, apart from humans, is a much smaller creature. The alphanumeric value (A=1, B=2, C=3 etc) of the 2nd letter of its name = C
b) The name of the larger of the 2 animals depicted on the mosaics has D letters
Step 4: continue along the track to S 34 7.892 E 18 26.116 where you will find a mosaic and info board on a fascinating creature – the Cape Clawless Otter. You will learn that adults weigh up to 1E kilos.
Step 5: onwards to S 34 7.913 E 18 26.159 where there is another fine mosaic - of a WLT - and an (untitled?) info board with numerous images of frogs, toads and related species, including toadlets which are seen in F images.
Step 6: carry on along and around the trail to cross the footbridge alongside the busy Main Rd to S 34 7.926 E 18 26.251 where you will find a tall lamp-post. Looking up to the light you will see a 5-character letter/number combination, the last of which = G
Step 7: continue around the track heading back west to S 34 7.884 E 18 26.223 by the 3 large main information boards for the wetlands. On the ‘Conservation Area’ board there are some 15 boxes advising what can and cannot be done. The box at the bottom right has a creature in it with H letters in its name.
Step 8: onwards to S 34 07.843 E 18 26.173 where you will find another older information board also with 15 advisory red boxes. The middle box shows an object related to a popular outdoor activity. The alphanumeric value of the 2nd letter of the name of this = J.
Step 9: continue along the track to S 34 07.824 E 18 26.076 the location of a rather battered info board on reeds. Amongst the info still legible is reference to a storm which occurred in 200K.
The cache, a camo-taped preform tube, can be found at:
S 34 07.(J+B)(D-A)(E+1) E 18 25.(K+1)(F+G+B)(C+5)
In 2000, the lower Silvermine River was rehabilitated to become a wetland, having previously been an alien-infested sand canal. A series of wetlands with open water areas were excavated with interconnected stormwater detention ponds. They were then revegetated with locally indigenous plants including coastal shrubs, flowering annuals and bulbs.
The lower Silvermine River historically had a wide floodplain and regularly flooded the lower-lying areas of Fish Hoek. Rubble and sheet metal dykes from the wreck of the Kakapo (whose remains are on Long Beach, Noordhoek) were initially used to contain the channel and ‘control’ flooding.
After severe flooding in 1991, the authorities considered formal canalisation of the river to reduce the flood risk. However, a group of nature conservationists led by the Silvermine River Society, now the Friends of the Silvermine Nature Area (FOSNA), successfully lobbied for a wetland with connected detention ponds.
Commissioned by the City of Cape Town, this innovative wetland development won a civil engineering award. It has now been proclaimed a Wetland Biodiversity Conservation site.
This is an enjoyable, educational, family-friendly short walk (<1 hour, allowing for stops to collect info) around these wetlands set in a small rehabilitated floodplain nature reserve between Clovelly and Fish Hoek which is a Cape Town Tourism Designated destination.
It is an important ecological area providing vital protected habitat for numerous species of birds, mammals, plants, reptiles & insects. It has several ponds (some overgrown by reeds) and a 1.8 km gravel path with boardwalks, bridges and stepping stones around the perimeter and crossing through the wetlands.
The reserve protects a section of Hangklip Sand Fynbos as well as the indigenous Cape wetlands of the Silvermine River. It was rehabilitated due to local flooding problems, and the original indigenous species are being reintroduced, replacing the problematic alien vegetation that is gradually being cleared.
Silvermine River Wetlands Route is a notable bird-watching location with over 50 bird species recorded, though some are no longer seen.
It is also a breeding ground for many amphibians, including the endangered Western Leopard Toad (see photo above), the Arum Lily Frog, Cape River Frog and Clicking Stream Frog. Other species such as the Cape Platanna unfortunately seem now to be locally extinct.
There are several small mammal species here too, such as porcupine, cape clawless otter (see photo), grysbok and mongoose.
Alien vegetation is still a threat, as is the excessive proliferation of the indigenous Bulrush (Typha) which is caused by unnatural quantities of minerals and nutrients being washed into the wetland from urban storm water – and periodic failures of the sewerage pumping system.
For an interesting and detailed history of the wetlands see here. See also here for more details of the wetland flora & fauna & facilities.
In March 2012, the arrival of a Little Crake (shown above) at the wetlands was the cause of huge excitement as it was the first sighting of this bird in Africa south of the equator. Birders (‘twitchers’) from as far away as Durban & Johannesberg flew in to see this little brown wader! At one time more than 50birde rs were present at the 2nd gabion pool near Step 1 – many equipped with very impressive lenses -to watch and photograph the bird, which was entirely focused on feeding & not disturbed by all the frantic activity.
Enjoy your exploration of the wetlands!
If you see any interesting creatures during your walk, do mention this in your log...
