3 Frank Groundwater

Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry

Frank Bockmühl
Exploration in Groundwater Resources
The Platveld Aquifer Study (PAS)
Presentation of Results, concentrating on:
1. The Hydrologic Cycle

2. Bush Encroachment in General
3. Impact of bush Encroachment on Groundwater Resources
4. Case descriptions
5. Groundwater Security = Food Security and Stability
Frank Bockmühl
Co-operating and Implementing Institutions
Ministry of Agriculture, Water and

Forestry
Department of Water Affairs
Ministry of Mines and Energy

Geological Survey of Namibia
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Luxembourg Development
Frank Bockmühl
Frank Bockmühl
Frank Bockmühl
Location: detail
New Interpretation: Geology Frank Bockmühl
Frank Bockmühl
Average Depths of boreholes drilled
200
180
160
173
140
number/depth (m)
120
number of boreholes
100 average depth m
85
81
80
75
82 63
57 57 55
60 66 64
38
40
41
18 34
20
6 12 21
0
pre 1920 1920-1929 1930-1939 1940-1949 1950-1959 1960-1969 1970-1979 1980-1989 1990-1996
period
Only boreholes for which

1. Reliable drill-dates have been found
2. Reliable depth data was found
have been used. (500 boreholes)
• This is not a statistic representing total boreholes drilled.
• The tendencies reflected are considered representative.
Frank Bockmühl
Water levels measured

farmers and geohydrologists
Goabpforte 7 boreholes
Drop of up to 16 m in up to 26
years
Luggenhof Wells started to dry up in 1946

Presently water levels are in the
order of 25 mbgl
Fountain at “Ou Uib” dried

Uib up in May 1973
In 1986 water level at old
fountain in replacement
borehole was 10 m
25/11/2003 RWL 24.5 mbgl
Frank Bockmühl
Groundwater abstracted Presently on Average

4.6 Mm^3
Otavi, supply from outside Project
Area
Evaporation, from Open Reservoirs 0%
5% Farm s, dom estic use, includes
Irrigation, sm all scale, areas law ns and garden
sm aller than 5 ha 16%
12%
Outjo, Municipal supply

13%
Irrigation, large scale w ith Centre
Pivots
15%
Okorusu, Industrial supply

7%
Stock
32%
Frank Bockmühl
Water Abstraction Historic
Historically: Groundwater Abstracted ~ 1958 6.5 Mm^3/a

•Outjo Municipality used up to 1
Mm^3/a
•Okorusu used less water
•Farms used less water for purely
domestic use
•Small scale irrigation was used
regularly
•No large scale irrigation
•Water used for livestock watering was
much more:
According to Veterinary services, the

meat board and slaughtering
statistics, in Namibia in commercial
farmland during 1958 an estimated
2,7 million head of cattle grazed ,
compared to only some 700 000
to 800 000 during the late 1990’s
Frank Bockmühl
Kalahari Cover
Frank Bockmühl
Platveld Kalahari Basin

Frank Bockmühl
Typical situation
Dry borehole drilled in densely vegetated bush. Note absence of grass cover.
(Farm Smythe, February 2004)
Frank Bockmühl
Bushencroachment
Frank Bockmühl
Bushencroachment
Frank Bockmühl
Bush Encroachment
Site “Abie”
Re-growth after three months rainfall
Frank Bockmühl
Root network
Frank Bockmühl
Facts about Bush Encroachment (source: de Klerk, et al 2004)

Project area has the following species which can be termed “invasive”:
•Colophospermum mopane in the north and western portion (density 4000/ha and more)
•Acacia mellifera in southern portion of the project area (density 8000/ha or higher)
•Dichrostachys cinerea in the east (density 10 000/ha and more)
•Not in Statistics: Terminalia prunioides

ETTE: evapotranspiration tree equivalents
For this comparison: one Acacia mellifera, height 2.5 m, crown diameter 2.8 m, canopy area 6.0
m^2, mean relative daily evapotranspiration per 8-hour day day/plant: 64.8 kg (=liters)
According to Bester (1996) most of Namibia had its original vegetative characteristics up
to the 1940’s, but by the mid-1960’s, bush thickening was regarded as an environmental
desaster.
Frank Bockmühl
Occurrence of dominant invasive species

Frank Bockmühl
Comparison of Abstraction Evapotranspiration

Losses & Total Precipitation optimistic
Frank Bockmühl
Comparison of Abstraction Evapotranspiration

Losses & Total Precipitation worst case
Frank Bockmühl
Rainfall event March 2005

Frank Bockmühl
Case history Grosvernor
Water Level Reactions WW40818
Date
27/02/2005
06/03/2005
13/03/2005
20/03/2005
27/03/2005
03/04/2005
10/04/2005
17/04/2005
24/04/2005
01/05/2005
08/05/2005
15/05/2005
22/05/2005
29/05/2005
05/06/2005
12/06/2005
25
25.5
26
26.5
rainfall event 22/03/05
Water Level (mbsu)
27
WW40818
27.5
28
28.5
29
29.5
30
Frank Bockmühl
Case history Goedbegin
Date
05
05
05
05
05
05
05
05
05
05
05
05
05
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
2/
2/
3/
3/
3/
3/
3/
4/
4/
4/
4/
5/
5/
/0
/0
/0
/0
/0
/0
/0
/0
/0
/0
/0
/0
/0
15
22
01
08
15
22
29
05
12
19
26
03
10
32
32.5
33
33.5
Water Level (mbsu)
34
34.5
WW40807
35
35.5
36
36.5
37
Frank Bockmühl
Case History Marburg
Date
27/01/2005
03/02/2005
10/02/2005
17/02/2005
24/02/2005
03/03/2005
10/03/2005
17/03/2005
24/03/2005
31/03/2005
07/04/2005
14/04/2005
21/04/2005
28/04/2005
05/05/2005
12/05/2005
12
12.5
13
13.5
Water Level (mbsu)
14
14.5
WW40819
15
15.5
16
16.5
17
Frank Bockmühl
Case history Rushof

Water level reaction Farm Rushof WW 40826; WW 40827; WW 40828
Date
27/01/2005
03/02/2005
10/02/2005
17/02/2005
24/02/2005
03/03/2005
10/03/2005
17/03/2005
24/03/2005
31/03/2005
07/04/2005
14/04/2005
21/04/2005
28/04/2005
05/05/2005
12/05/2005
21
21.5
WW40826
22 WW40827
WW40828
22.5
Water Level (mbsu)
23
23.5

24
24.5
25
25.5
26
Frank Bockmühl
Chemical de-bushing
Farm Pforte February 2004

Frank Bockmühl
Bushencroachment as a National Crisis: examples
Groundwater to Otjiwarongo
Eastern National Water Carrier
Gobabis
Flow of Rivers, sediment load, silting of dams
ENWC Dam System Omaruru Swakop basins
Food Production
The object of this study was not to investigate the causes of bush encroachment, nor
to find solutions to this specific problem, but the study clearly shows, that immediate
action in this regard is necessary. But let us look at some pictures taken in and around
Windhoek
Frank Bockmühl
Frank Bockmühl
Frank Bockmühl
Frank Bockmühl
Frank Bockmühl
Frank Bockmühl
Frank Bockmühl
Frank Bockmühl
Frank Bockmühl
Frank Bockmühl
Frank Bockmühl
Frank Bockmühl
Most Recent Success

Frank Bockmühl
Frank Bockmühl
Frank Bockmühl
Conclusions
Bush encroachment has a severe, if not catastrophic influence on recharge to groundwater
Declining water levels were approaching dangerously low levels (before start of 2006 season)
In areas where de-bushing has taken place, groundwater evidently is recharged relatively
fast
Bush control on the long term will result in the recovery of groundwater resources
With water levels recovered to the state when fountains re-occur, groundwater will be
an asset which can be utilized more reliably:
•Food production
•Irrigation in general
•Industrial use
•Municipal supply
Frank Bockmühl
Warning
The impression must not be gained that all bushes should be eradicated
A healthy balance of bushes and grasses ensures good rangeland condition
De-bushing should therefore be done selectively
To ensure both productive rangeland and

Replenishment of ground water

3 Frank Groundwater

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3 Frank Groundwater

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Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry

Department of Water Affairs and Forestry

The Platveld Aquifer Study (PAS)

Presentation of Results, concentrating on:

1. The Hydrologic Cycle

Co-operating and Implementing Institutions

Ministry of Agriculture, Water and

Ministry of Mines and Energy

Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Average Depths of boreholes drilled

Only boreholes for which

Water levels measured

Luggenhof Wells started to dry up in 1946

 Fountain at “Ou Uib” dried

Groundwater abstracted Presently on Average

Outjo, Municipal supply

Okorusu, Industrial supply

Water Abstraction Historic

Historically: Groundwater Abstracted ~ 1958 6.5 Mm^3/a

According to Veterinary services, the

Platveld Kalahari Basin

Facts about Bush Encroachment (source: de Klerk, et al 2004)

•Dichrostachys cinerea in the east (density 10 000/ha and more)

•Not in Statistics: Terminalia prunioides

Occurrence of dominant invasive species

Comparison of Abstraction Evapotranspiration

Comparison of Abstraction Evapotranspiration

Rainfall event March 2005

Case history Grosvernor

Water Level Reactions WW40818

Case history Goedbegin

Water Level Reactions WW40807

Case History Marburg

Water Level Reactions WW40819

Case history Rushof

rainfall event 22/03/05

Farm Pforte February 2004

Bushencroachment as a National Crisis: examples

Flow of Rivers, sediment load, silting of dams

ENWC Dam System Omaruru Swakop basins

Most Recent Success

De-bushing should therefore be done selectively

To ensure both productive rangeland and

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Luggenhof Wells started to dry up in 1946

Fountain at “Ou Uib” dried