The distribution and seasonal availability of surface water on the Manyeleti Game Reserve, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

The availability and abundance of surface water on the Manyeleti Game Reserve was quantified to provide information towards the development of a water provision policy. A total of 696 water source sites were located with a mean distance of 223.3 m apart. The water source sites (natural and artificial) were monitored seasonally to describe the seasonal availability of surface water on the Manyeleti Game Reserve. There were significant relationships between seasonal rainfall and the number of water source sites and maximum distance between sites. The large number of water sources is regulated by climatic progression and thus water provision on the Manyeleti Game Reserve follows a natural cycle linked primarily to rainfall. Water sources that dry up towards the dry seasons need to be supplied with water during drought periods in order to maintain game numbers without causing rangeland degradation. A water provision model that incorporates all the variables of the Greater Kruger Park Conservation Area, with particular reference to the smaller conservation areas within it, should become a research priority.