Rietvlei Nature Reserve

The Rietvlei Nature Reserve is located in Pretoria and is about 4,000 hectares (40 km2)[1] in size. Located within the reserve is the Rietvlei Dam.

This article is about the nature reserve in Pretoria, Gauteng. For the wetland reserve in Milnerton, Cape Town, see Rietvlei Wetland Reserve.

Rietvlei Nature Reserve
View from lookout point on route 4
Location of Rietvlei Nature Reserve in Gauteng
LocationSouth Africa
Nearest cityPretoria, Gauteng
Coordinates25°53′49″S 28°17′38″E
Area4,000 hectares (40 km2)[1]
Established1929, proclaimed 1948[2]
Governing bodyCity of Tshwane

The Rietvlei Nature Reserve surrounds and include the Rietvlei dam and is situated south east of Pretoria, in the Gauteng Province of South Africa, between the R21 highway (OR Tambo Airport highway) on the western side and the R50 (Delmas / Babsfontein) road on the north-east (Figure 2.2). The site lies in the quarter degree grid square 2528CD (Rietvlei Dam), between 25º50’S and 25º56’S latitude and 28º15'E and 28º19'E longitude. The mean elevation above sea level is approximately 1 525 meters, with the highest point at 1 542 m and the lowest point at 1 473 m (at the dam’s outflow). The reserve covers a surface area of approximately 4003 ha or 40 km2 (of which the dam makes up approximately 20ha) and a network of roads cross the entire area, which makes the reserve accessible to visitors and management.

Flora and fauna

Trees

Both indigenous and exotic species of trees can be found in the reserve.

List of trees in the reserve[3]
Indigenous
Exotic

Birds

There are an estimated 404 species of birds that make use of the reserve.[3]

Mammals

The reserve carries around 1600 individual mammals. Cheetah, Blesbuck, black wildebeest, red hartebeest, eland, common zebra, waterbuck, reedbuck, springbuck, mountain reedbuck, steenbok, grey duiker, oribi, leopard, buffalo, and hippopotamus can all be found in the reserve.[2][4] Currently there are also 4 lionesses and 2 male lions kept in a separate enclosure on the reserve.

List of mammals in the reserve[3]

Threats to the reserve

The reserve is situated in Gauteng, one of the highest population density areas in South Africa. As such it is constantly under threat by human expansion and development.

  • The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality's proposed Benoni landfill site.[5]
  • Upstream pollution of the Rietvlei Dam and wetland areas.[6][7]
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See also

References
  1. "Rietvlei Nature Reserve: Historic Background". City of Tshwane. Archived from the original on 15 October 2008. Retrieved 19 October 2008.
  2. Marais, Riaan (November 2004). "A Plant Ecological Study of the Rietvlei Nature Reserve, Gauteng Province" (PDF). City of Tshwane. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2006. Retrieved 25 November 2008.
  3. Rietvlei Nature Reserve (Booklet issued to visitors at the reserve). City of Tshwane.
  4. "Rietvlei Nature Reserve: General Information". City of Tshwane. Archived from the original on 9 January 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2008.
  5. "Rietvlei Dam under threat from planned site". Independent Online (South Africa). 26 September 2006. Retrieved 28 November 2008.
  6. van Eeden, Pieter H. (2004). "Comments on beak deformities at Rietvlei Dam Nature Reserve" (PDF). Afring News. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 February 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2008.
  7. "Rietvlei rehabilitation project aids in water purification". South African National Biodiversity Institute. September 2008. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2008.

Media related to Rietvlei Nature Reserve at Wikimedia Commons

  1. "Login". www.friendsofrietvlei.org. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  2. "Home". www.rietvleiguide. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
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