MABOLA PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT REVIEW OF 2015 WETLAND ASSESSMENT

The document assesses the impact of underground mine workings on the shallow weathered and deep fractured Karoo aquifers within the Mabola Protected Environment. It simulates groundwater drawdown, noting that while the deep fractured aquifer's zone of impact extends approximately 2 km downstream or North of the mine, significant impacts (drawdowns above 20m) are limited to the area immediately above the workings. The report suggests that the 15-year mine life may be shorter than the time required to reach a steady-state cone of dewatering. Groundwater-dependent ecosystems and springs within the site boundaries may be negatively impacted by the dewatering of the shallow aquifer, whereas those in the deeper fractured aquifer are considered unlikely to be affected due to the limited connection between the two aquifer systems.

• The simulated steady-state zone of impact for underground workings on the deep fractured aquifer extends roughly 2 km downstream or North of the mine, though significant impacts with drawdowns exceeding 20m are restricted to the area directly above the mine workings.
• The 15-year foreseen life of the mine is likely to end before a steady-state cone of dewatering is established, as such a state typically requires years or decades of unimpeded groundwater inflows.
• Groundwater-dependent ecosystems and water supply springs located within the site boundaries may be negatively impacted by the dewatering of the shallow aquifer during the mine's life.
• Springs located within the cone of dewatering of the deeper fractured aquifer, limited to site boundaries, are unlikely to be impacted because of the limited connection between the shallow and deep aquifer systems.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2017). MABOLA PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT REVIEW OF 2015 WETLAND ASSESSMENT. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Annexure-G-Part-2.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. MABOLA PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT REVIEW OF 2015 WETLAND ASSESSMENT. 2017. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Annexure-G-Part-2.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=MABOLA PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT REVIEW OF 2015 WETLAND ASSESSMENT |date=29 November 2017 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Annexure-G-Part-2.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrights2017mabola, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{MABOLA PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT REVIEW OF 2015 WETLAND ASSESSMENT}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2017}, month = nov, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Annexure-G-Part-2.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }