Aerial pictures of the Bot Estuary, courtesy of Jean Tresfon

The aerial pictures of the Bot Estuary, which follow, show significant changes in the estuary over the recent past. The estuary is tending towards a fresh water lagoon with lower biodiversity and the drastic changes which occur in the water level, even without breaching are a cause of concern in reducing the biodiversity of the system which rapidly swings from a saline system to an almost fresh water system.

The general water flow into the estuary has been significantly reduced for many reasons over the last decade. The increase in density of alien vegetation and the continued spread of alien vegetation is reducing water flows in the catchment area of the estuary drastically.

Aerial pictures of the Bot Estuary, are courtesy of Jean Tresfon who takes very informative and wonderful pictures.

Botfriends alien clearing program (BACP) is a funding proposal to clear much of the alien vegetation around the estuary, which will increase clean water flows into the Estuary.

The present status of the estuary (January 2020) is that it is dropping again and the sandbar is twice as wide as the 2018 picture. The open sand dune on the left is extending across the sand bar and is twice as big. Could cause some major flooding if we have very good rains.