Zandvlei Trust

Zandvlei Inventory and Monitoring Programme   (ZIMP)

 Biotic – Exotic water plants

"The Kingfisher" water weed harvester clearing hyacinth at the Rutter Road Pond and confluence of the Westlake and Keysers Rivers, in April 2008.

photographs by Robin Burnett

Robin Burnett photographed the Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) in the Westlake River  - December 2006. It is smothering the Waterblommetjie (Aponogeton distachyos) plants in the forground, small white flowers. Enlarged flower to the right.

photograph by Steve Davis

The confluence of the Westlake and Keysers Rivers at the railway bridge looking west towards Steenberg and Constantiaberg, before the water enters the western side of Zandvlei. It is at the height of summer and one can almost watch the weed grow.

photograph by Steve Davis

The same place only with the Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) cleared. Not only does the weed extract oxygen and nutrients from the water, it creates and physical barrier for recreational users and is a huge potential cause for flooding.