In early December, streams in the catchment started to flow and water began trickling back in to the western reservoirs. Aerial photographs taken on 6 December showed both dams beginning to fill up. The main supply, Settlers Dam, remained too low for extraction, but the smaller Howisons Poort dam quickly filled to 75%. That allowed the municipality to ease on the one-day-on, one-day-off water regime that’s been in place for over a year.
Farmers were optimistic that at least in that climate subzone, the drought might be easing off.
But while photographs taken on Thursday 20 January show more water in Settlers and Howisons, farmers said this month’s rainfall so far had been low.
Past and present chairpersons of the Central Albany Agricultural Association, Dale Howarth and Richard Moss, keep records of rainfall and river and dam levels in the catchment west of Makhanda. Howarth says according to his records, this is the driest January in 120 years.
Howarth said the area had excellent rainfall of 146mm for December which had resulted in some runoff filling smaller dams.
“All dams did benefit from localised runoff; however the rains were not sufficient to get rivers flowing and the bigger dams filled,” Howarth said.
While the veld had recovered extremely well with good grazing and browse available, the water table remained low and rivers dry.
By 20 January there had been only 13 mm to date and some good follow-up rainfall would be required in January to maintain the veld condition, Howarth said.
“The rivers all still need good downpours to get them flowing to fill dams and raise the water table.”
Rainfall in 2021 was 524mm against an average of 625mm and the area’s rainfall had now been below average for the past six years.
“Rivers last flowed in March 2015,” Howarth said.
The past week’s rain hadn’t changed the situation.
“We have had 4mm since 20 Jan for a total of 17 mm for the month,” Howarth said early on 27 January. “It’s the driest January in 120 years. The veld is still good and the small dams have water but the rivers are still dry.”
Moss said by 20 January, Mosslands had seen only 15mm of rain this month.
“The 280mm we had from the end of October to the end of December was magic,” Moss said. “Even though we had all that rain, the river didn’t come down.
“Near the end of December the water table was right up and all the springs in the catchment started running; however they stopped running last week,” he said on 20 January.
Asked about the past week’s rain, Moss said on 27 January, “Maybe 2 mm since Jan 20, just enough to settle the dust.”
Mosslands had 111mm in November and 126mm in December.
Below are Lynda Brotherton’s aerial photographs taken on 6 December and 20 January of Howisons Poort and Settlers dams.
SmilingSouth 