A story that fell under the radar was about the causes for excessive seaweed growth in the Knysna Estuary. Shanaaz Eggington, a senior reporter from the Sunday Times, met me, Professor Brian Allanson and others. That’s not quite what i said but when the “red tide” story hit, soon after, a lot got cut as the direction of the article changed. Click to enlarge.
Read the full article...I’d intended wading across and back Salt River, to see if there was interesting debris from the massive storm Knysna had experienced last week, but found myself working my way inland – the beautiful day had begged me to stay longer. It was low tide so where there were grass banks it was easy to walk. However, on the Western bank, more often than not, i found myself trying not slip on the slippiest mud and struggling, sometimes knee-deep, through muck that had me wondering if it were sinking sand … Read the full article…
At yesterday’s Community Services Section 80 meeting in the Knysna Council Chambers, pollution of the Knysna and Swartvlei estuaries raised it’s ugly head as it always does. Mike Maughan-Brown (Director Planning and Development) may be right in that the tide cleans away the ecoli in the swimming areas of Knysna but is that good enough? He expressed that he was happy with the health of the Knysna Estuary. In opposition, James McCarthy (Assistant Head of Municipal Health for the Lakes Area) said, “We are very concerned about land based pollution … Read the full article…
Is weed killer poisoning the Knysna Estuary? The topic has come up before on the Love Knysna Facebook and, apparently, in more detail on Knysna Gossip Girls’ Facebook [now renamed Knysna Golden Girls] where Councillor Eleanore Spies allegedly said she was going to get answers but didn’t. What is this weed killer called? What is its composition? How many tons are used per year? Why hasn’t a councillor or SANParks initiated this topic? If it’s safe, then explain why and let’s move on. For now, these images do nothing to … Read the full article…
It’s not toilet paper – yesterday’s government report was correct in that dried sea lettuce is what we’re witnessing on the shores of the Knysna Estuary. What was improper and unscientific in the report released by the Knysna Pollution Action Committee (SANParks, Knysna Municipality, Eden District Municipality and the Knysna Basin Project) was the exclusion of pollution as a possible cause. Yes, naturally induced “hydrogen and phosphate levels in the water which led to last year’s red tide” is a possibility but so can it be from the nitrogen released … Read the full article…
Do any of you truly understand what is happening in your town? If not, why not? I will post a lot more info this week to prove my point regards my header featuring Helen Zille who is by far my biggest failed heroine. She is the Premier of the Western Cape. Her job is primarily to work for us and look after us. She hasn’t. She turns up just before elections and boasts about her good deeds instead of talking about real issues that affect our town. Shake off your … Read the full article…
At the Knysna Community Services meeting held yesterday, the results from September’s water samples were presented. They are cause for alarm and the Knysna Municipality must be seriously questioned for failing to alert the public. Note than non-compliance/danger is a reading higher than 500 E.coli/100ml: Queen Street Stormwater – 2419 E.coli/100ml Long Street Stormwater – 3000 E.coli/100ml Train Station Stormwater – 3000 E.coli/100ml KADA Stormwater – 1918 E.coli/100ml Crabs Creek (monitored twice) – 3000 E.coli/100ml
Read the full article...Pollution continues to be a problem for the Knysna Estuary with May levels of bacteria exceeding acceptable recreational levels in 6 locations (water quality for recreational use may not exceed 400 E.coli/100ml): Bongani Stream 1986/100ml Bigai Stream 548/100ml Train Station culvert 3000/100ml Long Street 512/100ml Queen Street culvert 1576/100ml KADA culvert 1354/100ml
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