en.Wedoany.com Reported - The City of Cape Town, South Africa, has recently launched the second phase of the Zeekoevlei dredging project, namely the Home Bay desilting operation. This dredging project is the first large-scale desilting operation at the wetland in 42 years, aimed at improving water quality, reducing nutrient accumulation, and restoring the health of the wetland ecosystem. The project is expected to remove approximately 157,000 cubic meters of sediment over the next 10 months, with the overall works scheduled for completion by early 2027.

Alderman Eddie Andrews, the city's Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, stated: "The dredging of Zeekoevlei is a critical investment that delivers on our commitment to restore, improve, and protect our wetlands. Through dredging, we are removing long-accumulated sediment and reducing the nutrient build-up that contributes to poor water quality."

The project team revealed technical details of the construction process: "The dredger is moored by 2.5-ton concrete anchor blocks. All 16 anchor blocks were moved from Storm Bay to Home Bay when relocating to this section of the wetland. The dredger itself was disconnected from the pipeline in Storm Bay and towed to Home Bay by a support vessel. This operation, along with preparations for the second phase of dredging, took approximately three weeks."

Located in southern Cape Town, the wetland is an important local nature reserve and water regulation system. Long-term sediment accumulation has led to issues such as declining water quality and frequent algal blooms, affecting biodiversity within the wetland. This dredging project will not only help remove sediment but also reduce the internal nutrient load, thereby inhibiting harmful algal growth and providing a healthier habitat for wildlife such as waterbirds. Local environmental organizations have expressed support for this action, viewing it as a significant step towards restoring the wetland's ecological functions, and have called for more long-term management measures in subsequent maintenance.

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