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River FEPAs achieve biodiversity targets for river ecosystems and fish species, and are identified in rivers that are currently in a good condition (A or B ecological category). FEPA maps show rivers, wetlands and estuaries that need to stay in a good condition in order to conserve freshwater ecosystems and protect water resources for human use. River FEPAs are often tributaries that support hard-working mainstem rivers, and are an essential part of an equitable and sustainable water resource strategy. This does not mean that FEPAs need to be fenced off from human use, but rather that they should be supported by good planning, decision-making and management to ensure that human use does not impact on the condition of the ecosystem. Their FEPA status indicates that they should remain in a good condition in order to contribute to national biodiversity goals and support sustainable use of water resources.

• FEPA maps are provided in the NFEPA Atlas that is available from the Water Research Commission.

• FEPA maps show rivers, wetlands and estuaries that need to stay in a good condition in order to conserve freshwater ecosystems and protect water resources for human use. River FEPAs are often tributaries that support hard-working mainstem rivers, and are an essential part of an equitable and sustainable water resource strategy. This does not mean that FEPAs need to be fenced off from human use, but rather that they should be supported by good planning, decision-making and management to ensure that human use does not impact on the condition of the ecosystem.

• “Good condition” means an A or B ecological category (see Table below for a summary of ecological categories). The current and recommended ecological category for all river FEPAs is A or B. Wetland FEPAs that are currently in a condition lower than A or B should be rehabilitated to the best attainable ecological condition. Present ecological state categories used to describe the current and desired future condition South African rivers (after Kleynhans 2000). For NFEPA, rivers in an A or B category were regarded as being in good condition.

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FEPAs were identified based on

- 20% biodiversity target for river, wetland and estuarine ecosystem types across the country

- 20% biodiversity target for significant wetland clusters embedded in natural landscapes, within each wetland vegetation group

- Population targets for threatened freshwater fish species indigenous to SA

- alignment with all remaining free-flowing rivers

- alignment with priority estuaries identified in the National Biodiversity Assessment 2010

- alignment with existing protected areas and focus areas for protected area expansion

For rivers and fish, whole sub-catchments were identified as FEPAs. For rivers, FEPAs were identified in rivers that are in a good condition (A or B). Where it was not possible to meet biodiversity targets for river ecosystems in such rivers, Phase 2 FEPAs were identified in moderately modified (C) rivers. D rivers were

not considered as they usually cannot be rehabilitated back to an AB state.

Different categories are shown on the FEPA maps, each with different management implications. A subquaternary catchment code is also provided on the FEPA maps. This code can be used to look up further information about the river and wetland FEPAs and Fish Support Areas in each sub-quaternary catchment. This additional information is useful for developing site specific management plans, and is available in the look-up table on the NFEPA DVD or on SANBI’s Biodiversity GIS website ( http://bgis.sanbi.org).

• River FEPA and associated sub-quaternary catchment: River FEPAs achieve biodiversity targets for river ecosystems and threatened fish species, and were identified in rivers that are currently in a good condition (A or B ecological category). Their FEPA status indicates that they should remain in a good condition in order to contribute to national biodiversity goals and support sustainable use of water resources.

For river FEPAs the whole sub-quaternary catchment is shown in dark green, although FEPA status applies to the actual river reach within such a sub-quaternary catchment. The shading of the whole sub-quaternary catchment indicates that the surrounding land and smaller stream network need to be managed in a way that maintains the good condition (A or B ecological category) of the river reach.

It is important to note that river FEPAs currently in an A or B ecological category may still require some rehabilitation effort, e.g. clearing of invasive alien plants and/or rehabilitation of river banks. From a biodiversity point of view, rehabilitation programmes should therefore focus on securing the ecological structure and functioning of FEPAs before embarking on rehabilitation programmes in Phase 2 FEPAs (or other areas).

• Wetland or estuary FEPA: For wetland and estuary FEPAs, only the actual mapped wetland or estuarine functional zone is shown on the map as a FEPA, indicated by a turquoise outline around the wetland or estuary. The associated sub-quaternary catchment is not shown in dark green (unless it contains a river FEPA). Connected freshwater ecosystems and surrounding land that need to

be managed in order to maintain wetland and estuary FEPAs in good condition need to be identified at a finer scale and in management plans for individual wetland or estuary FEPAs. In some cases it may be the whole sub-quaternary catchment and in others it may be a smaller area.

Wetland FEPAs were identified using ranks that were based on a combination of special features and modelled wetland condition. Special features included expert knowledge on features of conservation importance (e.g. extensive intact peat wetlands, presence of rare plants and animals) as well as available spatial data on the occurrence of threatened frogs and wetland-dependent birds. Wetland condition was modelled using the presence of artificial water bodies as well as by quantifying the amount of natural vegetation in and around the wetland (within 50m, 100m and 500m of the wetland). Based on these factors, wetlands were ranked in terms of their biodiversity importance. Biodiversity targets for wetland ecosystems were met first in high-ranked wetlands, proceeding to lower ranked wetlands only if necessary. Although wetland condition was a factor in selection of wetland FEPAs, wetlands did not have to be in a good condition (A or B ecological category) to be chosen as a FEPA. Wetland FEPAs currently in an A or B ecological condition should be managed to maintain their good condition. Those currently in a condition lower than A or B should be rehabilitated to the best attainable ecological condition. Estuary FEPAs are the national priority estuaries identified in the National Biodiversity Assessment 2011 (Van Niekerk and Turpie 2011). The functional zone for each estuary is shown on the map, which includes the main channel or open water as well as the zone to which the estuary may expand during flood (guided largely by the 5m coastal contour line). Estuary FEPAs are shown on the map in the same way as wetland FEPAs, with turquoise outlines. The recommended ecological category for priority estuaries is listed in Van Niekerk and Turpie (2011).

• Wetland cluster: Wetland clusters are groups of wetlands embedded in a relatively natural landscape. This allows for important ecological processes such as migration of frogs and insects between wetlands. In many areas of the country, wetland clusters no longer exist because the surrounding land has become too fragmented by human impacts.

An orange outline is shown around groups of wetlands that belong to a wetland cluster. Wetlands do not have to have FEPA status to belong to a wetland cluster (although clusters with a high proportion of wetland FEPAs were favoured in identifying wetland clusters).

• Fish sanctuary and associated sub-quaternary catchment: Fish sanctuaries are rivers that are essential for protecting threatened freshwater fish that are indigenous to South Africa. The associated sub-quaternary catchment is marked with a red or black fish symbol on the map. A red fish indicates that there is at least one population of a critically endangered or endangered fish species within that sub-quaternary catchment. A black fish indicates the presence of vulnerable fish populations. Some fish sanctuaries are FEPAs, with their associated sub-quaternary catchments shown in dark green; others are Fish Support Areas, with their associated sub-quaternary catchments shown in medium green (see explanation of Fish Support Areas below).

A goal of NFEPA is to keep further freshwater species from becoming threatened and to prevent those fish species that are already threatened from going extinct. In order to achieve this, there should be no further deterioration in river condition in fish sanctuaries and no new permits should be issued for stocking invasive alien fish in farm dams in the associated sub-catchment. Fish management plans need to be developed for all fish sanctuaries to protect the fish they contain, with priority given to those fish sanctuaries containing critically endangered or endangered fish species (indicated by the red fish symbol on the map). These plans should address issues such as management of a particular stretch of the river habitat within the sub-quaternary catchment, the construction of weirs to keep invasive alien fish species to a minimum (following an environmental impact assessment), and managing aquaculture and angling to ensure no further introduction of invasive alien fish species.

• Fish Support Area and associated sub-quaternary catchment: Fish sanctuaries in a good condition (A or B ecological category) were identified as FEPAs, and the whole associated sub-quaternary catchment is shown in dark green. The remaining fish sanctuaries in lower than an A or B ecological condition were identified as Fish Support Areas, and the associated sub-quaternary catchment is shown in medium green. Fish Support Areas also include sub-quaternary catchments that are important for migration of threatened fish species – these are not marked with a fish symbol.

• Upstream Management Area: Upstream Management Areas, shown in very pale green, are subquaternary catchments in which human activities need to be managed to prevent degradation of downstream river FEPAs and Fish Support Areas. Upstream Management Areas

Phase 2 FEPA: Phase 2 FEPAs were identified in moderately modified rivers (C ecological category), only in cases where it was not possible to meet biodiversity targets for river ecosystems in rivers that were still in good condition (A or B ecological category). The condition of these Phase 2 FEPAs should not be degraded further, as they may in future be considered for rehabilitation once FEPAs in good condition (A or B ecological category) are considered fully rehabilitated and well managed. Phase 2 FEPAs and their associated sub-quaternary catchments are shown in dark green with white dots.

• Free-flowing river: Free-flowing rivers are rivers without dams. These rivers flow undisturbed from their source to the confluence with a larger river or to the sea. Free-flowing rivers are a rare feature in the South African landscape and part of our natural heritage. Free-flowing rivers are not shown on the FEPA maps, but are mapped separately. Nineteen flagship free-flowing rivers were identified based on their representativeness of free-flowing rivers across the country, as well as their importance for ecosystem processes and biodiversity value. These flagship rivers should receive top priority for retaining their free-flowing character. Flagship free-flowing rivers are listed in Table 3.1, and coded in the river shapefile on the NFEPA DVD.

Available documentation:

Nel, J.L., Murray, K.M., Maherry, A.M., Petersen, C.P., Roux, D.J., Driver, A., Hill, L., Van Deventer, H., Funke, N., Swartz, E.R., Smith-Adao, L.B., Mbona, N., Downsborough, L. and Nienaber, S. (2011). Technical Report for the National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas project. WRC Report No. K5/1801.

SANS 1878

FGDC-STD-001-1998