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The Gamtoos estuary
(33°58' S;
25°4' E)
lies to the west of the coastal city of Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape. The river is approximately 645 km long with a catchment area of 34 635 sq. km. Agriculture accounted for about 2% of the land-cover in the Gamtoos catchment. This was mainly temporary commercial irrigated agriculture, temporary commercial dryland agriculture, permanent commercial irrigated agriculture, and commercial forestry. About 6% of the catchment was degraded shrubland while approximately 92% was natural, mostly shrubland and bushland. Urban development accounted for less than 1% of the catchment land-cover and this was mainly residential development with some mining and industrial development also present. Main towns in the Gamtoos catchment include Hankey and Patensi in the lower catchment, Steytlerville, Joubertina, Uniondale and Willowmore further inland and Murraysburg in the upper catchment.
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