The Berg River is a major source of water to the City of Cape Town and West Coast District Municipality, irrigated agriculture and the industries of Saldanha (South Africa). The South African Department of Waters Affairs and Forestry has found increasing trends in in the Berg River since the mid 1970’s. Degrading water quality limits the usability of the water in an already water stressed, semi-arid area. Natural dryland salinity (predominantly NaCl salts trapped in Proterozoic Malmesbury shale sediments) has been identified as the source of some of the salts affecting its water quality.
Reference:
Jovanovic, N., Bugan, R.D.H., Maherry, A. et al. 2010. Management of human-induced salinization in the Berg River catchment (South Africa). World Water Week, Stockholm International Water Institute. Stockholm, Sweden, 5-11 September 2010
Jovanovic, N., Bugan, R. D., Maherry, A., De Clercq, W., Fey, M., Helmschrot, J., & Flügel, W. (2010). Management of human-induced salinization in the Berg River catchment (South Africa). http://hdl.handle.net/10204/5217
Jovanovic, Nebojsa, Richard DH Bugan, A Maherry, WP De Clercq, MV Fey, J Helmschrot, and W-A Flügel. "Management of human-induced salinization in the Berg River catchment (South Africa)." (2010): http://hdl.handle.net/10204/5217
Jovanovic N, Bugan RD, Maherry A, De Clercq W, Fey M, Helmschrot J, et al, Management of human-induced salinization in the Berg River catchment (South Africa); 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10204/5217 .