Conserving wetlands

Hippo Valley Swamp

The 240 ha Hippo Valley Swamp is situated in the Hippo Valley Game Reserve. Nine return flow drains from irrigated sugarcane fields supply water, which flows slowly  through the wetland and then into a series of channels that empty into the Chiredzi River. The swamp provides a valuable source of green forage for herbivores in the late dry seson (September/October), and in so doing greatly enhances the carrying capacity of the Malilangwe ecosystem. This is particularly true for grazing species such as buffalo and waterbuck, which are found in large numbers in the swamp during the hot dry season.

An invasion of bulrushes reduced the grazing area within the swamp, which lowered its potential for both forage production and game viewing. This was partially reversed by  (1) cleaning and repairing the network of existing drains within the wetland to reduce the extent of permanent flooding, (2) clearing of shrubs that had encroached into previously open grassland, and (3) burning to remove moribund grass and improve the overall quality of forage on offer.