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The Swartkops estuary
(33°52' S;
25°38' E)
is situated near the coastal city of Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape. The river is approximately 134 km long with a catchment area of 1 303 sq. km. Agriculture accounted for approximately 14% of the land-cover in the Swartkops catchment. This consisted mainly of temporary commercial dryland agriculture, temporary commercial irrigated agriculture, commercial forestry, and improved grasslands. Less than 1% of the catchment was degraded bushland while approximately 77% was natural, mostly shrubland and bushland with some wetlands and waterbodies also present. Urban development accounted for approximately 9% of the catchment land-cover. This was mostly residential, commercial and industrial development associated with the coastal city of Port Elizabeth and the towns of Despatch and Uitenage further inland.
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