

The 2.44 m minimum depth after dredging, will allow the passage of shallow- draft barges, with cargo loads of up to 1,500 tons or 75 FEU at full draft of approximately 2 metres. Ukuguqulwa okusobala nokuqhakazile okwedlulele kwabantu eRietvlei kwaba ukwehliswa kwesigaba sonke esenyakatho-ntshonalanga phakathi kuka-1974 no-1976 The most obvious and dramatic human- induced modification at Rietvlei was the dredging of the entire north-west section between 19. Ukwenziwa kogu lwangaphambili olusha kwaholela ekuchithweni kwezinsalela zePatriarchal Church futhi izisekelo zezakhiwo zesimanje azivamisile ukubekwa ngaphandle kokuthi kutholwe ezinye izinto zakudala. The making of the new foreshore led to the dredging up of remains of the Patriarchal Church and the foundations of modern buildings are seldom laid without some objects of antiquity being discovered. Ukwenza umzila wamanzi udlulise amanzi kudinga ukwakhiwa kwamalokhi amathathu ukudlula ama-rapids kanye nokwakhiwa kabusha kwama-sandbars amakhulu emfuleni.

To make the waterway navigable requires the construction of three locks to bypass the rapids and the dredging of the largest sandbars in the river.
