The Cape Bird Club
Conservation Committee visiting the Berg River Estuary.
2011
Following on from management meetings for the
Berg River Estary Management Plan, a site visit was made possible on the 7th May. The
Committee visited the Cerebos Salt Works to discuss and understand the workings
of the operation.
The manager Steve Lombard was welcoming and showed us the
extent of the operations on a scaled map, before he taking us around the plant. He
explained how sea water is pumped into the first pans and then are gravity fed
via a number of evapourating pans which increase the salinity to the final
working pans. When harveted, the salt content is about 25 times that of sea
water salinity.
At this particular works the process takes up to 18 months from
the inlet of water to harvesting.
He told us there are other plants which produce salt in minutes from brine solutions.
Wow look at all the salt, we are walking on it as well.
We were taken on a walk about and shown with full explanation how different grades of salt are mixed and washed a few times to cleanse it. There are a number of grades of salt available to a variety of markets. Medical salt is 99.9 percent pure salt and this quality is the purest form required in different crystal sizes. There is a commercial requirement for fine pouring table salt and coarse crystal salts with or without additives. Flowing agents are also added for table salts together with iodide. Dishwashing machine salt is a course variety and almost pure with no additives. There is an operational laboratory on site for testing and maintaining the standards required throughout the processes.
Steve Lombard, Clifford Dorse, Felicity Ellmore, Shaun Overmeyer, Suretha Dorse, Dave Whitelaw.
The Cerebos Salt Works has recently signed a 30 year lease to operate at this site. They own most of the land and lease small portions from neighbours for the pans. The works are on both sides of the Cape Town Velddrif coastal road, on the southern side of the Berg River.
The sand salt (beige colour) and white salt to
the left is mixed in piles before being loaded
into the trailer for the first stage of washing.
This trailer of mixed sand and cleanish salt is being off loaded into the first washing cycle.
A brine solution disolves and washes impurities in the first stage.
A closeup of some crystals sparkling in the sun.
The "mountain piles" being formed.
"Mountains" of salt piled and ready for further processing.
We are looking at crusher feeding into another section where iodide and flowing agents are added.
Some rocks sifted out.
In the factory, Steve waiting for the slower persons to catch up. Sacks being filled in the background. No the person in the red shirt does not have a bad case of dandruff.
It is almost like being in a wonderland with
everything covered in snow, except
it was not cold at all.
Felicity testing the fine grade, nearest description would be icing sugar or talcum powder.
Hoppers for different grades of salt.
The salt bagged and into packaging for transport to the retail outlets.
Climate plays a major factor in the operations. Long sunlight periods with high winds and no or very low rainfall are required for the production. In the winter rainfall periods the pans are filled with rainwater which dilutes the processing times. Average annual rainfall is about 350mm.
We all learnt a lot, and will continue to work with the management to promote the habitat for birding as part of the Estuary Management Plan. An information announcment will be made soon for birders for this area, so keep a look out.
We went on a short excursion around some of the pans and Felicity (with our help) recorded 55 species for the SABAP2 pentad with White necked Ravens a new species for the area.
We saw this Barn Owl sitting in a tree near the estuary.
On the 22nd January some of the Committee members
set off early (it is mid summer) to go and review the Salt Works area at the
Berg River. The objective was to update ourselves, so we can give input comment for
the Berg River Estuary Management Plan.
Then we had a "late Xmas" lunch at a local restaurant.
photograph by Frank Wygold
The group at the salt works on one of the berms dividing the lower level salt marsh areas on the right and the flooded pans on the left. Shaun Overmeyer, Cliff and Surthea Dorse, Isabella Hayden, Felicity Ellmore behind Isabella and Dave Whitelaw.
photograph by Frank Wygold
The group having a look at the building infrustructure at the salt works.
photograph by Frank Wygold
Suretha and Cliff, Dave and Felicity.
photograph by Frank Wygold
This photo shows the natural area on the right and the flooded pan on the left.
photograph by Dave Whitelaw
Felicity, Shaun and Cliff.
photograph by Dave Whitelaw
View of damage causd by the salt extraction process which woud require rehab.
photograph by Dave Whitelaw
One of the major problems in integrating the pans back into the "natural environment"
is the difference in water levels.
2008
On a bright sunny day 08 June 2008, the committee members travelled up to the Berg River estuary with Tony Williams the avifauna consultant for both proposed developments – De Plaat and Flaminkvlei.
Studying the map and diagrams to understand where we are at De Plaat and what we need to look at so that we can formulate opinions on all the potential impacts for this site. De Plaat is on the north side of the river and on the outskirts of Veldrif on the road to Piketberg.
Tony pointing out Flaminkvlei site area. On the south side of the Berg looking north over a pan.
Checking the map again A small salt works
Flamingoes The N7 road bridge behind the telephone pole
Getting another perspective. At the Flaminkvlei site
Having tea looking over the Flaminkvlei site with the local heron roost behind. Then it was off home afterwards to think and formulate some written responses.
This is a very important birding area and the West Coast Biosphere extends to the south side of the Berg River. Only sustainable development should take place in this area.
