Positive water levels enticing paddlers ahead of KZN river season
Since the start of spring, the river paddling season, regular paddlers taking part in the races have been relishing paddling on superb water levels.
CANOEISTS in KwaZulu-Natal are relishing the start of the summer season that leads to the FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon in mid-February, as the end of the four year drought leaves them with very good water levels in the uMsindusi and uMngeni catchments.
Since the start of spring, the river paddling season, regular paddlers taking part in the races on the upper uMngeni (below Albert Falls dam) have been relishing paddling on superb water levels, and the man behind managing that water says the reason is twofold.
Kevin Trodd, the KZN Canoe Union water liaison officer said the overall dam levels are dramatically better at this time of year than they have been at the corresponding time in the past four years.
“We are in a much, much better situation water-wise than we have been for a long while,” said Trodd. “That’s great news for every resident of the region, and as paddlers we also get to enjoy the benefits.”
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Trodd said that the relationship with the Umgeni Water authorities who manage the flow of water between the major dams servicing Pietermaritzburg and Durban has also never been better.
“We have a great working relationship with Victor Hlope and the whole team at Umgeni Water. They have a delicate balancing act to perform moving water from one dam to another to best service their consumers. The key dam is Nagle Dam, so there needs to be a reliable flow of water from Albert Falls dam to Nagle dam. That’s the main gravity supply dam for Durban and ideally that needs to stay at between 60 and 70 percent full.
“What has really made us excited as recreational users of the Upper uMngeni between Albert Falls and Nagle dams is the understanding that water can be throttled back during the week, and the flow increased on the weekends to allow paddlers to utilise the river at a safe and enjoyable level, without compromising the water supply to Nagle dam in any way at all,” he said.
Trodd said that the upcoming Ozzie Gladwin Canoe Marathon was one of the biggest on the local calendar, and paddlers could look forward to superb water levels for that race.
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