Water lettuce and hyacinth: A crisis in the Vaal River heading for disaster

Save the Vaal Environment in a letter this week once again warned that water lettuce and hyacinth in the Vaal River is heading for a national disaster.

The national departments of Environment, Fisheries & Forestry, Water and Sanitation and Agriculture bear a major responsibility to deal with this crisis as well as Rand Water and other water boards.. No action means devastation of the Vaal River (already eutrophic) and beyond including the Orange River, says Save the Vaal Environment chairman, Malcolm Plant.

He emphasized that the implications range from fishing (which poorer communities need to provide a meal), to agriculture where farmers’
irrigation equipment will be clogged up, as well as environmental devastation and loss of tourism potential, job creation, property development and local economies.

Plant says Rand Water earlier took decisive action and was applauded for eliminating water hyacinth in the Vaal River between the Lethabo Weir and the Vaal Barrage. This year, water hyacinth has reappeared.

In February 2021 water lettuce was reported to Rand Water, first seen in the Suikerbos tributary, but says that nothing was done.

Today, Water Lettuce has got a firm grip on the Vaal River and its tributaries.

In 2022 there was enthusiasm on the part of Rand Water working with Rhodes University on a weevil breeding programme. This was followed by silence during the winter of 2023, says Plant.

Water Lettuce dies off in cold winter weather but the plant has already dropped millions of
seeds that lie dormant until summer, the result of which can be seen today.

Save the Vaal Environment says a sustained, funded government programme is required to deal with this crisis, the impact of which will have national implications.

“Rand Water needs to join hands with the community to pressurise national Government to take action and provide funding. We appeal to Rand Water and the national departments to communicate whether there has been an analysis of other possible technologies to deal with the problem and to provide
details of the plan going forward to prevent a national crisis. If there’s no action, then the Vaal River will be beyond repair, with the knock-on effect
on economies, the local communities also downstream to the Orange River and beyond,” the organisation says, adding that river property owners are prepared to help by removing water lettuce at the riverbanks and burning it, but this will not be enough. A coordinated effort is needed. and they are  willing to work with Rand Water, Save the Vaal Environment said.