RHP
South African
River Health Programme
Ecological State of the Major Rivers
of Mpumalanga
Level II Ecoregions
Main Attributes
Ecoregion 2.14
Main Rivers
Sources Olifants tributaries
Terrain morphology: Broad division
Closed hills, mountains, moderate to high relief.
Vegetation types
Mixed bushveld
Altitude (m a.m.s.l)
1000-1250; 1250-1500
Geology
Granite, quartzite, sandstone, shale
Soils
Mostly coarse, sandy & shallow
Mean annual precipitation (mm)
400-600; 600-800
CV (%) of annual precipitation
30-35
Rainfall concentration index (%)
60-65; >65 (limited)
Rainfall seasonality
Early summer (peak December or earlier)
Mean annual temperature ( ºC)
16-18
Range of median annual runoff (mm) for
quaternary catchments (natural, simulated)*
40-60; 60-80
CV (%) of annual simulated runoff for quaternary catchments
60-70; 70-80; 80-90
After: Schulze
et al.
1997; Low & Rebelo 1996; van Riet
et al.
1997
* Based on ACRU model (Schulze
et al.
1997)