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The Olifants estuary
(31°42' S;
18°11' E)
is located in the Western Cape and is found on the west coast, north of the coastal city of Cape Town. The river is approximately 285 km long with a catchment area of 46 220 sq. km. Agriculture comprised approximately 5% of the catchment land-cover of the Olifants system. Most of this was temporary commercial dryland agriculture, temporary commercial irrigated agriculture, and permanent commercial irrigated agriculture. About 2% of the catchment was degraded and mainly comprised dongas and sheet erosion, and degraded shrubland. Approximately 93% of the Olifants catchment was natural, mainly shrubland, bushland and grassland. Urban development accounted for less than 1% of the land-cover in the Olifants catchment. Most of this was residential development and mines and quarries. Major towns in the Olifants catchment include Lutzville, Vredendal and Vanrhynsdorp situated in the lower catchment, Nieuwoudtville in the middle of the catchment and Clavinia and Loeriefontein in the upper catchment.
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