ZANDVLEI TRUST 

Westlake Wetlands – Boom buildingParty
on 23rd November 2002. 

A "waterweed free Rutter Road pond" (Devils Peak and back of Table Mountain in background).



John Fowkes explaining the plan and giving some background information.

This is a working partnership with the City of Cape and the Zandvlei Trust – Westlake Wetlands Task Team effort. This group of residents in Spinnaker Road, Lakeside, are keen boating and canoe people and have decided to do something about the exotic weed that has blocked up their water ways in the Wetlands.



It was decided to have a "boom making party". The booms consist of anchovy fishing net with floats inserted into a tube sewn at the top of the net. The floats are 2 litre plastic bottles.



A strong rope is also drawn through the top tube. The rope ends will be tied to stakes on the banks of the canal. A weighted cable is sewn into the bottom of the net to keep it as vertical as possible in the water. The nets will help contain and prevent the wind driving the Water Hyacinth, Kariba weed, Parrots feather and Azolla into the waterways. 
The areas to be contained have biological control methods working, but this is a long term process. Host weevils are released under controlled methods onto the water plants. There is a limited success to date with the weevils.



The rope ends have to be spliced and the netting has to be sewn together to make a 15 meter length.

Watch out for the next instalment !  "The Kingfisher" is coming to visit.