Harts River
Encyclopedia
The Harts River is a northern tributary of the Vaal River
, which in turn is the largest tributary of the Orange River
(also known as the Gariep River, the largest river in South Africa
).
It rises on the far southwestern slopes of the Witwatersrand
and flows for 320 km (about 200 miles) in a southwesterly direction (mostly through very flat areas of the North West Province) before flowing into the Vaal River
about 100 km above the confluence of that river with the Orange River
(Gariep). The Little Harts River which rises near Coligny joins the Great Harts River, which rises near Lichtenburg
, to form the main river. Near Taung, the Dry Harts River, a seasonal river with its headwaters in the Vryburg area, also joins it. The river is characterised by highly intermittent runoff, but is regulated to optimise water usage. At Taung the Tswana referred to the Harts River as the Noka (meaning River) Kolong.
Most of the fish found in the river are introduced species, except for Barberspan, which has indigenous species.
Near the towns of Sannieshof and Delareyville, the river is connected to Barbers Pan (26°35' S 25°35' E), which lies partially inside the Barbers Pan Nature Reserve and is a Ramsar wetland site. The pan is 11 km long and 3.5 km wide, and is named after Frederick Hugh Barber FRGS, who hunted along the Harts River in 1875 and not, as has been suggested, after the barbel
(baber in the Afrikaans
language), a species of catfish found in South African rivers. In 1913, Jan Christiaan Smuts, who owned a farm near the southern end of the pan, provided the labour and his foreman, Mr M.S. Basson, supervised the digging of a channel which diverted water from the Harts River into the pan, which lies about 9 m lower than the river. The area is so flat that the Harts River now pushes enough water into Barbers Pan during the rainy season to last through the dry winter months, where previously the pan used to dry up during the dry season. This was ecologically important, since the pan now became a large perennial water body in an area of otherwise seasonal pans and vlei
s. It became an oasis for bird
s (especially water fowl) which use it for feeding, drinking, roosting, moulting and breeding. Up to 20,000 birds of more than 320 species can be seen at the Barbers Pan Bird Sanctuary, making it a popular birding spot, probably the finest in South Africa. Seven endangered bird species and two endangered mammal species occur here. Barberspan also supports a rich plankton community. (RAMSAR, 1994).
Barbers Pan is also the venue for off-road vehicle rallys, like the Barberspan 500.
There is a hotel, self-catering accommodation and camping facilities on the site.
Further downstream, the town of Schweizer-Reneke (founded in October 1888) lies on the banks of the river. Wenzel Dam, just north of the town on the river, has been developed into a holiday resort.
In around 1850, a dam was built in the river next to Dikgatlong, but it was washed away during a flood in 1856.
Near the confluence of the Harts and Vaal Rivers a major irrigation system, the Vaal-Harts Scheme has been set up in 1933 as part of the national reconstruction effort after the Depression
. Here water drawn from both the Vaal and the Harts rivers provide water to intensively irrigate numerous smallholding
s through a system of canals in an otherwise dry area of the country, supporting towns such as Jankempdorp and Vaalharts.
Around the northern part of the Scheme lie the settlements of Pampierstad, Motsweding, Mokgareng, Manthestad and Taung, all with mostly Tswana
speaking residents. Taung became famous after the discovery of the skull of the so-called Taung Child
in a lime quarry 14 km west of the town. The quarry is not in use anymore and is now the Taung Heritage Site and open to the public. To the west of the town, the Taung Dam
was built in the Harts River. Upstream of the dam some rock engravings can be seen.
On 31 March 1902, during the final months of the Second Boer War
, the Battle of Harts River, also known as Boschbult, was fought between the Boers and the British forces near the confluence of the Harts River and the Brak Spruit, one of its dry tributaries. The battle was a British defeat and was also the bloodiest day of that war for the Canadian forces
, who fought on the British side.
Alluvial diamond mining still occurs in ancient river beds within the Harts River catchment area. The Newlands Mine is located some 60 km northwest of Kimberley on the river. It is currently being mined at a rate of 3000 tonnes per month by the company Dwyka Diamonds Limited. Noble Minerals, in cooperation with the local Ba-Ga-Maidi tribe has set up an operation to exploit the alluvial diamonds within 20 square kilometres of diamantiferous gravels of the river system, near Taung.
Vaal River
The Vaal River is the largest tributary of the Orange River in South Africa. The river has its source in the Drakensberg mountains in Mpumalanga, east of Johannesburg and about 30 km north of Ermelo and only about 240 km from the Indian Ocean. It then flows westwards to its conjunction...
, which in turn is the largest tributary of the Orange River
Orange River
The Orange River , Gariep River, Groote River or Senqu River is the longest river in South Africa. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean...
(also known as the Gariep River, the largest river in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
).
It rises on the far southwestern slopes of the Witwatersrand
Witwatersrand
The Witwatersrand is a low, sedimentary range of hills, at an elevation of 1700–1800 metres above sea-level, which runs in an east-west direction through Gauteng in South Africa. The word in Afrikaans means "the ridge of white waters". Geologically it is complex, but the principal formations...
and flows for 320 km (about 200 miles) in a southwesterly direction (mostly through very flat areas of the North West Province) before flowing into the Vaal River
Vaal River
The Vaal River is the largest tributary of the Orange River in South Africa. The river has its source in the Drakensberg mountains in Mpumalanga, east of Johannesburg and about 30 km north of Ermelo and only about 240 km from the Indian Ocean. It then flows westwards to its conjunction...
about 100 km above the confluence of that river with the Orange River
Orange River
The Orange River , Gariep River, Groote River or Senqu River is the longest river in South Africa. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean...
(Gariep). The Little Harts River which rises near Coligny joins the Great Harts River, which rises near Lichtenburg
Lichtenburg, North West
Lichtenburg is a town situated in North West Province of South Africa. It is the administrative centre of Ditsobotla Local Municipality.The town was established in 1873 and was named by Transvaal President Thomas François Burgers, Lichtenburg...
, to form the main river. Near Taung, the Dry Harts River, a seasonal river with its headwaters in the Vryburg area, also joins it. The river is characterised by highly intermittent runoff, but is regulated to optimise water usage. At Taung the Tswana referred to the Harts River as the Noka (meaning River) Kolong.
Most of the fish found in the river are introduced species, except for Barberspan, which has indigenous species.
Near the towns of Sannieshof and Delareyville, the river is connected to Barbers Pan (26°35' S 25°35' E), which lies partially inside the Barbers Pan Nature Reserve and is a Ramsar wetland site. The pan is 11 km long and 3.5 km wide, and is named after Frederick Hugh Barber FRGS, who hunted along the Harts River in 1875 and not, as has been suggested, after the barbel
Barbel (disambiguation)
Barbel may refer to:*Barbel , a whisker-like organ near the mouth found in some fish and turtles.*Barbel , a common name for certain species of carp....
(baber in the Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
language), a species of catfish found in South African rivers. In 1913, Jan Christiaan Smuts, who owned a farm near the southern end of the pan, provided the labour and his foreman, Mr M.S. Basson, supervised the digging of a channel which diverted water from the Harts River into the pan, which lies about 9 m lower than the river. The area is so flat that the Harts River now pushes enough water into Barbers Pan during the rainy season to last through the dry winter months, where previously the pan used to dry up during the dry season. This was ecologically important, since the pan now became a large perennial water body in an area of otherwise seasonal pans and vlei
Vlei
The word vlei is used predominantly in South Africa. In most instances a vlei is a shallow minor lake of a seasonal or intermittent nature. It even might refer to seasonal ponds or marshy patches where frogs and similar marsh dwellers breed, but too minor to be granted recognition in the form of a...
s. It became an oasis for bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s (especially water fowl) which use it for feeding, drinking, roosting, moulting and breeding. Up to 20,000 birds of more than 320 species can be seen at the Barbers Pan Bird Sanctuary, making it a popular birding spot, probably the finest in South Africa. Seven endangered bird species and two endangered mammal species occur here. Barberspan also supports a rich plankton community. (RAMSAR, 1994).
Barbers Pan is also the venue for off-road vehicle rallys, like the Barberspan 500.
There is a hotel, self-catering accommodation and camping facilities on the site.
Further downstream, the town of Schweizer-Reneke (founded in October 1888) lies on the banks of the river. Wenzel Dam, just north of the town on the river, has been developed into a holiday resort.
In around 1850, a dam was built in the river next to Dikgatlong, but it was washed away during a flood in 1856.
Near the confluence of the Harts and Vaal Rivers a major irrigation system, the Vaal-Harts Scheme has been set up in 1933 as part of the national reconstruction effort after the Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Here water drawn from both the Vaal and the Harts rivers provide water to intensively irrigate numerous smallholding
Smallholding
A smallholding is a farm of small size.In third world countries, smallholdings are usually farms supporting a single family with a mixture of cash crops and subsistence farming. As a country becomes more affluent and farming practices become more efficient, smallholdings may persist as a legacy of...
s through a system of canals in an otherwise dry area of the country, supporting towns such as Jankempdorp and Vaalharts.
Around the northern part of the Scheme lie the settlements of Pampierstad, Motsweding, Mokgareng, Manthestad and Taung, all with mostly Tswana
Tswana language
Tswana or Setswana is a language spoken in Southern Africa by about 4.5 million people. It is a Bantu language belonging to the Niger–Congo language family within the Sotho languages branch of Zone S , and is closely related to the Northern- and Southern Sotho languages, as well as the Kgalagadi...
speaking residents. Taung became famous after the discovery of the skull of the so-called Taung Child
Taung Child
The Taung Child — or Taung Baby — is the fossilized skull of a young Australopithecus africanus individual. It was discovered in 1924 by quarrymen working for the Northern Lime Company in Taung, South Africa...
in a lime quarry 14 km west of the town. The quarry is not in use anymore and is now the Taung Heritage Site and open to the public. To the west of the town, the Taung Dam
Taung Dam
Taung Dam is dam on the Harts River near Taung, North West, South Africa. It was established in 1993.- References :* from the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry...
was built in the Harts River. Upstream of the dam some rock engravings can be seen.
On 31 March 1902, during the final months of the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, the Battle of Harts River, also known as Boschbult, was fought between the Boers and the British forces near the confluence of the Harts River and the Brak Spruit, one of its dry tributaries. The battle was a British defeat and was also the bloodiest day of that war for the Canadian forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
, who fought on the British side.
Alluvial diamond mining still occurs in ancient river beds within the Harts River catchment area. The Newlands Mine is located some 60 km northwest of Kimberley on the river. It is currently being mined at a rate of 3000 tonnes per month by the company Dwyka Diamonds Limited. Noble Minerals, in cooperation with the local Ba-Ga-Maidi tribe has set up an operation to exploit the alluvial diamonds within 20 square kilometres of diamantiferous gravels of the river system, near Taung.
External links
- North West Province Tourism - Barbers Pan Bird Sanctuary. Includes a picture.
- North West Parks & Tourism Board Honorary Officer Association Photo Album. Many pictures of Barbers Pan.
- Canadian War Museum - Battle of Harts River. Includes a map.
- Encyclopædia Britannica
- Dwyka Diamonds - Newlands Kimberlite Mine
- North West Provincial Government - Water Resources
- South African Birding - Birding Spots - Barbers Pan and environs