Situated close to the town of Springs in Gauteng Province, Blesbokspruit is one of the larger wetlands in the highveld region of southern Africa, lying at an altitude of 1600 m. The wetland is a high conservation priority because it forms an important component of one of the tributaries of the Vaal River, which provides water to the highly industrialized and densely populated Gauteng Province. The value of the system lies in its ability to purify industrial and domestic effluent discharged into the Blesbokspruit River from local industries, sewage works and mines, thereby reducing pollutant loads entering the Vaal River. In addition, the wetland acts as an important refuge for many waterbird species, particularly in the context of the highly industrialized urban environment of the far East Rand where most of the wetland habitats have been lost.

The Blesbokspruit supports significant numbers of waterfowl, including yellowbilled duck Anas undulata and spurwinged goose Plectropterus gambensis in the dry season, when water levels are maintained artificially. The nutrient-rich water provides food for greater flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber, lesser flamingo Phoenicopterus minor and goliath heron Ardea goliath, all of which are South African Red Data Book species. Other notable birds include avocet Recurvirostra avosetta, purple heron Ardea purpurea, African spoonbill Platalea alba, glossy ibis Plegadis falcinellus and yellowbilled stork Mycteria ibis. The African marsh harrier Circus ranivorus, which has been displaced from much of its range, maintains a strong population here.

Blesbokspruit was listed on the Montreux Record of the Convention in 1996 in response to a decline in the ecological character of the site, brought about primarily by the discharge of large volumes of polluted water from an adjacent gold mine. As a result of this and other impacts, the Ramsar site does not at present meet all of the criteria under which it was designated to the List of Wetlands of International Importance. Processes are underway to restore the site and manage it towards a desired future state.