Botanical garden dam wall caving in

GEORGE NEWS - The damaged dam wall at the southern side of the Garden Route Botanical Garden is receiving urgent attention.

Although it does not currently pose a threat to residents in the area, there is concern about the situation.

Finn Rautenbach, manager of the garden, says that the dam was built in 1811, when people didn't know much about soil compaction. These days the soil is rammed hard during the building of dam walls to prevent erosion.

Already in 2017 Finn identified the dam wall on the southern side as a threat that needed to be addressed. With limited funds available, this was done by supporting the wall with rocks and poles.

Despite theses measures, about half of the dam wall has collapsed. It has deteriorated over the past few days, with the rain exacerbating the situation. It has now collapsed up to the pathway and a warning sign has been put up.

To prevent serious problems, the wall should be attended to urgently, but fixing it properly would be costly and the garden doesn't have the funds needed.

They are addressing the situation the best they can.

Finn Rautenbach, manager of the Garden Route Botanical Garden, points out the semi-collapsed dam wall. Photo: Eugene Gunning