Hyena Dam in trouble

At the beginning of the year we made already aware of the threat the construction of the by-pass causes to the inflow into Hyena Dam. A private developer occupied the land from Uhuru Gardens down to the inflow. A perimeter wall has been constructed, foundations for a housing estate are being built.That development has cut off Hyena Dam from its main water catchment area. It is obvious that the dam and its adjacent swamps are suffering already heavily despite the long rainy season. The water level has dropped and water plants occupy a large chunk of the water surface.

Hyena Dam, as one of the most important permanent water sources and tourist attractions in the park, needs urgently attention. We wish to warn about the housing estate which may channel water into the park without any retention by natural vegetation. Such floods would be sudden, cause much damage but would not lead to a constant inflow. The status of ‘Splash’ is not yet known to me. Also the impact of the development at the Army Barracks is unknown.

Hyena Dam may have to be fed by ‘artificial’ means (borehole water) very soon.

Inge