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Heyshope Dam: Bay 2 (27053022)

Mpumalanga

CWAC status REGISTERED-COUNTS SUSPENDED
Authority Private
Management status STATE IMPOUNDMENT
Conservation status UNKNOWN
IBA information SA020 - GRASSLAND BIOSPHERE RESERVE
Ramsar information
Heritage information
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Information 

Date_registered
1994-03-31
Brief_description
A large, state-owned storage dam in the Assegaai River catchment, surrounded by agricultural land (beef and maize production). Shoreline gently sloping; either heavily grazed or with rank grass and weeds. A proposed Ramsar site which holds extremely large numbers of at least 52 waterbird species, concentrated in the 17 bays where rivers enter the dam. Small areas which are regularly counted hold up to 45 000 waterbirds; the entire system may hold 100 000. In drought years the dam provides a refuge for birds from surrounding pans, including Lake Chrissie. Only one CWAC count available, for winter 1992, when only small sections of the dam were visited but nationally significant numbers of Yellowbilled Duck and Cape Shoveller were recorded, plus high counts of Dabchick, cormorants, ducks, geese, and shorebirds (including some Palaearctic species). Eutrophication, resulting from inflow of agricultural fertilisers, is a potential problem. Other problems could be posed by opencast coal mining and afforostation in the catchment areas. This important site should be monitored on a regular basis.

SppCommon nameTaxonomic nameMinAvgMaxIBASubregional
IBA
RAMSAR
212Coot, Red-knobbedFulica cristata1191821.503524 2500 
50Cormorant, ReedMicrocarbo africanus518.0031   
47Cormorant, White-breastedPhalacrocorax lucidus33.003   
52Darter, AfricanAnhinga rufa22.503   
100Duck, White-faced WhistlingDendrocygna viduata88.008   
96Duck, Yellow-billedAnas undulata6377.0091   
60Egret, IntermediateArdea intermedia11.001   
89Goose, EgyptianAlopochen aegyptiaca6118.50231   
88Goose, Spur-wingedPlectropterus gambensis1515.0015   
4Grebe, Great CrestedPodiceps cristatus22.002   
6Grebe, LittleTachybaptus ruficollis1121.5032   
288Gull, Grey-headedChroicocephalus cirrocephalus22.503   
54Heron, GreyArdea cinerea11.001   
245Lapwing, BlacksmithVanellus armatus36.009   
102Pochard, SouthernNetta erythrophthalma6969.0069   
94Shoveler, CapeAnas smithii34.506   
85Spoonbill, AfricanPlatalea alba11.001   
97Teal, Red-billedAnas erythrorhyncha11.001   
FITZ logo Ramsar Wetlands International http://www.sanbi.org/

Sunday 08 December 2024 12:20
FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology
Department of Biological Sciences - University of Cape Town

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