Kloof Conservancy BioGuide - Molweni River
Name Molweni River
The Molweni River is a perennial river which has its source in Springside Nature Reserve in Hillcrest it then runs through residential suburbs before entering the Everton Gorge. There are also some smaller source tributaries one starting near Camp Orchards on Inanda Road.
The Molweni flows through Everton Gorge and crosses Kloof Falls Road near the Interpretative Centre where it is dammed at the Kloof Falls Picnic Site.
After leaving the Kloof Falls Picnic Site the Molweni falls into the main Kloof Gorge at the popular Kloof Falls which are the highest falls on the river.
At the bottom of the gorge it flows along a granite base and exits the Nature Reserve about 500m after Splash Rock. From the reserve fence the river then flows for along a fertile plain in Lower Molweni where it joins the Umgeni River near a spot called Marble Arches.
The Molweni River is generally a low volume river but can become a raging river as a result of the relatively steep hillsides in the area which result in rapid run-offs, This is aggravated as most of the stormwater drains in the entire Upper Highway area drain into its catchment.
It starts at an elevation of 650 m above sea level in Hillcrest and drops to an elevation of 60m where it joins the Umgeni.
Because of the relatively low flow the river is generally low if aquatic life although some species of fish are occasionally found.
It is believed that the derivation of the name “Molweni” is a from the Xhosa meaning “greeting”
The Molweni River is a perennial river and has 8 tributaries the largest of which is the Nkutu River which combines with the Molweni River in Lower Molweni.
Other perennial rivers and streams are: Iphithi (Duiker) River, iNgungumbane (Porcupine) Stream, Ronald’s Kloof Stream, Nkonka (Male Bushbuck) Stream, Uve (Paradise Flycatcher) Stream and iNgolube (Bushpig) Stream.
There are 8 major reasonably accessible waterfalls.
Kloof has its own water purification plant and is therefore partly independent of the Umgeni Water system. Water is pumped from the dam on the Molweni river at the Kloof Falls Picnic site up to the water treatment plant on Alamein Road.
As South Africa is a very water scarce country the importance of the health of all our rivers is increasing particularly as many are under severe threat. Kloof Conservancy runs the Molweni River Health School Project to monitor the health of the river using the miniSASS system.
The Krantzkloof Nature Reserve was proclaimed in 1950 and land donations to date have brought the area under protection to 584 hectares. The reserve has the highest level of “protection” as a Protected Area in terms of the NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: PROTECTED AREAS ACT, 2003. The Act delegates the authority to manage and administer the reserve to Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. The status of the reserve can only be changed by an act of Parliament.
The reserve is managed by a Conservation Officer based at the main camp on Kloof Falls Road. There are two Field Ranger Outposts, one at the Nkutu Picnic Site (on Valley Road) and the other at Ntombeni (on Quentyn Smythe Road)
The reserve contains a wealth of biodiversity making it a critically important reserve in a heavily urbanised area.
The reserve is home to:
50 – Mammal species (including) 13 bat species.
14 – Amphibian species
150 – Butterfly species
35 – Reptile species
253	– Bird species
273 – Tree species
Igama Umfula iMolweni
indawo Indawo yezemvelo iKrantzkloof
Umfula iMolweni awushi kanti umthombo wawo use-Springside Nature Reserve e-Hillcrest bese unqamula phakathi kwephethelo lezakhiwo lezakhamuzi ngaphambi kokungena e-Everton Gorge.
Kukhona imingenelo yemithombo emincane omunye uqala eduze en-camp Orchards ku-Nanda Road.
iMolweni igeleza phakathi kwi-Everton Gorge kanye unqamula kwi-Kloof Falls Road eduze kanye ne-Interpretative Centre lapho wakha ichibi kwi-Kloof Falls Picnic Site.
Emva kokusuka kwi-Kloof Falls Picnic Site wehlela kwi-Kloof Gorge enkulu kwi-Kloof Falls ethandwayo okungephakeme kakhulu yomfula.
Ezansi nesihosha ugeleza ugudle isiqu sesigcaki kanti ukhona kwi-Nature Reserve okungaba u, 500m emva kwe-Splash Rock. Kusuka ocingweni lwesiqiwi umfula ugeleza udlule kwecacile imvundo kwi-Lower Molweni ungene ku-Mngeni River eduze nechaphazi elibizwa Marble Arches.
Ubude bomfula bulinganiselwa ku-16km.
Umfula iMolweni ngokujwayelekile unomthamo ophansi kodwa ungaba umfula onolaka okungaba nomphumela ezintabeni ezinyukelayo owakheleni nazo endaweni okwenza ukuthi ibe nokushesha, kwenza isimo esibi isiphepho semvula somise konke kwi-Upper Highway komise isigodi sonke.
Uqala ekuphakameni okungu-650m ngaphezu kwesilinganiso solwandle e-Hillcrest ubuye wehlise ngokusilinganiso sika 60m lapho uhlangana no-Mngeni.
Ngenxa yokuhlobana nokugeleza komfula okuphansi kujwayeleke ukuba phansi uma impilo yasemanzini nakuba ezinye izinhlobo zofishi/zezinhlanzi zingatholakala kwezinye izikhathi.
Ngokuvamile kuphephile ukubhukuda kulamanzi kodwa akuncomeki ukuthi noma ubani angene emanzini uma enokulimala noma izilonda.
Kunenkolelo yokuthi isisuka segama “Molweni” liqhamuka kwisi Xhosa okuchaza “isibingelelo”.
Umfula iMolweni awushi futhi unemingenelo engu 8 omkhulu kakhulu okuyi Nkutu River ohlangana ne-Molweni River kwi-Lower Molweni.
Omunye umfula nomfudlana ongashi: Iphithi (Duiker) River, Ngungumbane (Porcupine) Stream, Ronald’s Kloof Stream, Nkonka (Male Bushbuck) Stream, Uve (Paradise Flycatcher) Stream kanye ne-Ngolube (Bushpig) Stream.
Kunezintube ezingu 8 ezinkulu zokungena kuzimpophoma.
e-Kloof inomhlanzo wayo wezitshalo kanti ngalokho uMgeni Water unohlelo lwawo oluzimele. Amanzi aphampwa kusuka edamini le-Molweni River kwi-Kloof Falls Picnic kuya kwimpatho yezitshalo e-Alamein Road.
Njengoba uMzansi Afrika unemanzi amancane ukubalululeka kwezempilo kuyoyonke imifula kunyusa kakhulu njengoba abaningi bengaphansi bokuphatheka okunzima. Kloof Conservance iqhuba i-Molweni River Health School Project ukuxwayisa ngokusebenzisa imifula ngenhlanzeko okuyim miniSASS uhlelo.
Krantzkloof Nature Reserve yamemezela ngo 1950 kanti umnikelo wendawo wosuku okwabekwa ngalo indawo ngaphansi kokuvikelwa kuyakuma 584 wamahektha. Isiqiwu sinezinga eliphezulu “lokuvikeleka” njengesizinda eSivikelwe kumkhawulo we NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT: PROTECTED AREAS ACT, 2003. Izithunywa zoMthetho zinegunya lokuphatha kanye nokubusa isiqiwi se-Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. Ukuma kwesiqiwi kungashintshwa kuphela uMthetho wePhalamende.
Isiqiwi senganyelwe yi-Conservation Officer esekelwe inkambu enkulu e-Kloof Falls Road kunama, Field Ranger Outposts amabili, eyodwa ise-Nkutu Picnic Site (kwi-Valley Road) enye e-Ntombeni (kwi-Quentin Smythe Road).
Isiqiwi siqukethe umnotho wokungafani okwenza kube nokubaluleka kokuhlolisisa isiqiwi ezindaweni ezinobudolobha obuphezulu.
50 - Uhlobo oluncelisayo (kuhlangene) nohlobo phini.
14 - Uhlobo oluphila emanzini noma emhlabeni.
150 - Izinhlobo zezi vemvane.
35 - Izinhlobo ezihuquzelayo ngesisu.
253 - Izinhlo zezi nyoni.
273 - Izinhlobo zezihlahla.