Rains bring massive relief
The Mgobozeleni stream which enters the sea at Sodwana Bay has filled up
ISIMANGALISO Wetland Park staff are over the moon with the rains over the last few days.
Rain have brought some relief to the hard-hit uMkhuze section of the park, with some water starting to flow into iNsumo pan.
Rain started falling on Monday and continued into Tuesday, but the sun was shining bright on Wednesday.
On Tuesday morning Eduard Goosen, conservation manager at uMkhuze, reported that the uMkhuze River was flowing and has reached iNsumo, bringing much-needed relief to the pod of 27 hippo that chose to wait it out rather than move elsewhere in the park.
Sodwana Bay (north) measured 40mm, while a whopping 105mm was recorded at the Sodwana Bay Lodge on Monday night.
The Mgobozeleni stream which enters the sea at Sodwana Bay has filled up and breached to the sea on Tuesday morning.
Welcome rain
On Monday afternoon rain, accompanied by thunderstorms, rumbled in over the southern and coastal sections of iSimangaliso, bringing short squalls of rain to the Eastern and Western Shores, and Sodwana Bay.
The iSimangaliso Wetland Park is truly beginning to fit its name of ‘The Miracle’ as regular spring rain falls throughout the World Heritage Site.
iSimangaliso CEO Andrew Zaloumis said, ‘These regular bouts of rainfall ahead of the vital vegetation growing phase from November to February are encouraging for the drier areas of the park, and will help to recharge the ground water as well as the numerous boreholes that iSimangaliso put in place to mitigate against the severity of the drought.
‘Much more will be needed to break the drought cycle, but it is a promising start to the season.
Rainfall recorded on Tuesday (8am)
St Lucia Estuary – 52mm
Charters Creek – 34mm
Coastal Forest (Manzengwenya) – 15mm
Sodwana Bay (north) – 40mm
Sodwana Bay (gate) – 105mm
False Bay – 22mm
uMkhuze (Mantuma) – 7mm
Eastern Shores (Mission Rocks) – 24mm
Kosi Bay – 23mm
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