Zaalklapspruit Wetland Rehabilitation Monitoring

The Zaalklapspruit wetland under study has been identified as a “National Freshwater Ecosystem Area” and falls within a “critically endangered wetland” type. The Grootspruit wetland is ecologically engineered to improve its water quality and receives acid mine drainage (AMD) from an abandoned coal mine upstream. The aim of the initial study was to determine to what extent the rehabilitation of the Zaalklapspruit wetland improved downstream water quality. Improvement in the water quality was assessed through changes in pH, alkalinity, metals, TDS and electrical conductivity. The follow up study looked at the role played by groundwater-surface water interactions on the resultant water quality.