MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES FOR THE ADAPTIVE OPERATIONAL WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
4.3.1. The Rapid Response System
Learning and understanding gained from the literature review, and in particular from the pragmatic SAM cycle associated with the ecological flow requirements developed by Mcloughlin et al. (2011), led to the development and implementation of a rapid response system (RRS) under which to conduct the short term aspects of the adaptive management component of SAM. The RRS is in effect merely a descriptive name for the implementation of the short term aspects of the adaptive management phase of SAM for the Crocodile River.
A workshop with the KNP was held in November 2009 to discuss their thresholds of potential concern (TPC) and associated feedbacks relating to ecological sustainability and related flow requirements. At the meeting it was agreed that a direct link between the ICMA and the KNP associated with the monitoring and implementation of ecological flows was required. This meeting laid out the foundations for the RRS for ecological flows in the Crocodile River consequently developed by Mcloughlin et al. (2011) (Figure 6).
Through the deliberations of the CROCOC (*) it quickly became apparent that the RRS for ecological flows developed by Mcloughlin et al. (2011) should be expanded for use in operational water resources management as a whole, since the implementation of the
ecological flow requirements is intrinsically linked to operational water resources management.
The RRS within the AOWRMF (Figure 42 and Table 8) thus evolved to cater for both OWRM and the implementation of ecological flow requirements and also incorporates various aspects of the four OWRM components described in this thesis. It requires a real time data, the use of a DSS and simulation models as well various stakeholders, roleplayers and institutions and assists in enabling the operational implementation and monitoring phases of the AOWRMF to stimulate quick and relevant actions on the river operations, based on various defined alerts.
Thus, the RRS is the core around which the adaptive management phases of the AOWRMF are conducted for the Crocodile River and is also the key enabler of short term feedback loops as highlighted in the literature review. The RRS has also evolved to become a core enabler of openness and inclusivity in the immediate short term (day to day), as the CROCOC established to achieve much of the social objectives only meets monthly and can thus not be used for day to day short term decision making. The committee can thus not ensure that the short term operations meet the social objectives and the RRS fills this gap.
The various components of the rapid response system are shown below in Table 8:
Table 8: The components of the RRS.
Collection and dissemination of real time rainfall, runoff and dam level information through email and a web portal.
Calculation and dissemination of short term forecasted rainfall, runoff and dam levels (weekly, but updated daily).
Determination of monthly alert levels for river flows based on international obligations and historical statistics and dissemination of the current real time information vs these alert levels.
(*) Refer to section 4.2.2.
“Stakeholder Participation and Decision Making” for detail of these
deliberations.
Determination of worry levels for the ecological flow requirements.
Calculation and dissemination of the weekly forecast ecological flow requirements vs the worry levels.
Automated emails and sms delivery to relevant stakeholders linked to the alert and worry levels.
Management log of all alerts and related actions, available for all.
Link to longer term aspects of the AOWRMF through the presentation of the logbook and short term monitoring results at CROCOC meetings at least once a year.
Further detail of these various aspects required for the RRS to function effectively are presented per relevant OWRM component in sections 4.2.1 to 4.2.4 on institutional arrangements, stakeholder participation and decision making, data and information and modelling and decision support systems.
An extract of the management logbook – which is an aspect of the RRS- during the dry season in 2013, is shown in Table 9.
This logbook is populated by various stakeholders and maintained by the ICMA. It is presented to the CROCOC to enable the stakeholders to be aware of the alerts and related actions being taken between meetings in terms of the RRS. The management logbook highlights the existence of feedback loops within the RRS. The management logbook is currently an offline spreadsheet. It has been recommended by all CROCOC stakeholders that the management log should evolve into an online logbook that can be populated by all relevant stakeholders and viewed by anyone at any time.
Table 9: Extract from the RRS management logbook during the dry season of 2013.
Date and issue Request
from Manage- ment Options
Manage- ment Action
Result
29 May 2013 Crocodile River flow decrease to Low worry level
Sanpark
s Investigate Flow readings
Verification of
Datalogger data
ICMA initiated discussions and investigations. The problem was a faulty reading at the gauging weir.
This was recalibrated and resolved the issue.
5 June 2013: The flow at Komatipoort doesn’t add up to Crocodile and Komati Contributions.
ICMA loggers differ from DWA loggers
CRIMB:
Willie Verification
of
Datalogger data
The malfunctioning logger was fixed by the ICMA on the 5th of June along with 5 other faulty loggers through an emergency maintenance contract.
5 June 2013: River flows are slowly decreasing
CRMIB: Contact
Irrigators Restrictions CRMIB: 5th June 2013, irrigation abstraction hours on the Crocodile River were limited to 120 hours per/week from 5 June 2013, 17 hours/day over 7 days, Mondays to Sundays, both sides of the river.
7 August 2013:
Crocodile River at Ten Bosh is now starting to flow in the Low worry zone
Sanpark
s Contact
Irrigators Inform
Stakeholders See action by CRMIB below.
8 August 2013:
Crocodile River at Ten Bosh is now starting to flow in the Low worry zone
CRMIB Contact
Irrigators Restrictions CRMIB: From Monday 12th August 2013 until further notice, hours of abstraction of irrigation water by irrigators on the Crocodile River are limited to 84 hours per/week, 12 hours/day over 7 days, Monday to Sunday, both sides of the river
12 August Croc
Canoe Club
Notify CROCOC members
Inform
Stakeholders Croc Canoe Club request 6 cumecs for Crocodile Cnoe marathon on 12 and 3 October 2013. ICMA
notified relevant stakeholders of this request.
23 August 2013:
SANPARKS noted that the Crocodile River at Ten Bosh flow dropped to the high worry zone
CRMIB Contact ICMA and DWA
ICMA, requested William Matsabe at DWA Kwena
2.0 cumecs was added to the minimum flow release of 0.5 cumecs to increase release to a total of 2.5 cumecs
3 September 2013. CRMIB Contact ICMA and DWA
ICMA, requested William Matsabe at DWA Kwena
Flow release increased from 2.5cumecs to 3.0cumecs
16 September 2013.
Due to extreme hot weather forecast for Wednesday 18 September 2013, the CRMIB requested a further release of 1cumec
CRMIB Contact ICMA and DWA
ICMA, requested William Matsabe at DWA Kwena
The ICMA in consultation with the CRMIB decided to increase the release to 4.5cumecs; as a result of the river dropping to low worry levels for the ecological flow requirements and the weather forecast for very hot conditions.
25 Sep 2013 Crocodile River flowing in low worry level at 2.1 cumec. reserve = 2.28 cumec
1.
Contact DWA / ICMA 2. Inform River manager
Inform
ICMA ICMA Faulty Gauge readings discovered.
Reading Rectified. However, ICMA found that the gauging station appears to be sending odd readings not consistent with any fluctuations recorded at Riverside and Karino upstream. The ICMA believes that there may be a blockage into the well inlet. DWA hydro requested to investigate and remove the blockages if found.