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The Swartvlei estuary
(34°0' S;
22°48' E)
is located approximately midway between the coastal towns of Knysna and Mossel Bay in the Western Cape. The river is approximately 38 km long with a catchment area of 455 sq. km. Agriculture accounted for about 40% of the land-cover in the Swartvlei catchment. Most of this comprised commercial forestry, improved grasslands and temporary commercial irrigated agriculture. The catchment did not appear to be degraded with approximately 58% being natural. Natural land-cover comprised mainly bushland, forest, shrubland, and the coastal lake of Swartvlei. Urban development accounted for about 1% of the land-cover and this was mostly residential development associated with the coastal settlement of Sedgefield.
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