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MAJOR SOUTH AFRICAN RIVER GRADING

MAJOR SOUTH AFRICAN RIVER GRADING

Notes:

A “+” symbol refers to isolated obstacles that exceed the overall grading of the river. These obstacles are identified in the rivegradings, and will be highlighted in race brochures, pre-race briefings, race maps, and should ideally be clearly signposted, indicating the portage route, well in advance of the obstacle (example “Fish B+ - Keith’s Flyover, Cradock Weir”). Any paddler hoping to trip the stretch of river must make sure that adequate information on the nature and location of these obstacles is sourced, before the trip begins.

· “t” refers to a stretch of river where trees growing in the river bed present hazards

· “ch” refers to sections where serious channelling occurs, and information on the safest channel must be sourced before the trip or race.

· “w” refers to waters that are prone to extremes of weather, particularly cold, rainy or misty weather, where the threat of hypothermia exists.

Union	River	Section	Grade	Hazards
KNCU	Umgeni	Midmar – Howick	B+	Mill Falls
		Howick Falls – Mortons Drift	X
		Mortons Drift – Albert Falls	B
		Albert Falls – Wartburg Road Bridge	C
		Wartburg Road bridge – Edmonds Farm	A
		Edmonds Farm – Nagle Dam	A
		Confluence to Marianni -Foley causeway	B+	Ibis Point Gauging weir
		Marianni – Foley causeway - Dip Tank	B+	Thombi rapid
		Inanda Dam – Pumphouse weirs	B+	Island rapid
		Pumphouse weirs – Durban	C	Pumphouse weir 2
	Umsindusi	Camps Drift – Low level bridge	C
		Campbells Farm – Dusi bridge	B
		Dusi bridge - Confluence	B+	Dusi bridge weir
	Bushmans	Wagondrift Dam - Escourt	C+	Escourt weir
		Escourt – Weenen Road	A
	Umkomaas	Lundies – Deepdale	A
		Deepdale – Hella Hella	X
		Hella Hella – Number Eight	A
		Number Eight – Josephines bridge	B
		Josephines bridge – Riverside Store	B
		Riverside Store - Mpompamani	A
		Mpompamani - Sea	A+	The Waterfall, Goodenoughs weir
	Umzimkulu	Castleburn – Trout Hatcheries	B+	Black Murray
		Trout Hatcheries – Scotsons Bridge	C
		Scotsons Bridge – 2nd Coleford Bridge	B+	Glenhaven rapid, Underberg weir
		2^nd Coleford Bridge - Centacow	X
		Centacow – Stokes Farm	B
		Stokes Farm – Islington	X
		HorseShoe – Port Shepstone	A
	Mooi	Mooi River Weir – Causeway	C
		Causeway – Sierra Ranch	B
		Muden – Keats Drift	A
	Tugela	N3 Freeway Bridge – Colenso	C
		Middledrift – Mandini – Pons Farm	A
	Buffalo	Dundee – Nqutu Road	B
	Pongola	Paris dam – Pongola Weir	B
EPCU	Fish	Grassridge Dam – Prospect bridge	B+t	Keiths Flyover
		Prospect Bridge – Baroda bridge	B
		Baroda bridge – Cradock	B+	Cradock weir
	Brak	All water above Grassridge dam	A
	Kei		A
	Little Fish		B
	Zwartkops	Uitenhage – Redhouse	B
		Redhouse to Mouth	C
	Sundays		B
	Kromme River		B
	Gamtoos		B
	Cowie		B
	Knysna Lagoon		C
	Nahoon		B
	Keurbooms		C
GCU	Lowveld Croc	Kwena Dam – Montrose falls	A
	Wilge (Highveld)	Emvelo Reserve – Zusterstroom Bridge	X
		Zusterstroom bridge – Verena bridge	B
		Verena Bridge - Loskop	X
	Vaal	Ermelo – Standerton _Visgat	B
		Visgat – Barrage	C
		Barrage – Likkevane	B
		Likkevane - Parys	X
		Parys – Hadida	A
		Hadida – Orange confluence	B+
	Jukskei /Crocodile	Heldefontein - Brits	B+	Confluence rapid, Pelindaba Weir, Fridays Farm weir
	Crocodile (Highveld)	Below Brits	B
		Rand water to Henley	C
	Klip	Henley to Caravan park weir	C
		Caravan Park weir to Vaal confluence	B	K9 weir, Dog bridge, Railway bridge weir
	Blesbok	Nigel - Heidelberg	C
		Heidelberg – Suikerbosch confluence	B
		Suikerbosch confluence	B
	Elands	Machadadorp – Montrose	A
	Taaibos	Sasolburg	C
	Blyde		X
	Letaba		X
	Usuthu (Swaziland)		X
WPCU	Berg	Paarl – Velddrift (Berg Marathon)	Btw
		Fransch Hoek – Paarl	B
		Paarl – Lady Loch	C+	Dal Josephat weir
		Lady Loch – Skooltjie	Bt
		Skooltjie – Hermon	Bt
		Hermon - Zonkwasdrift	B
		Zonkwasdrift - Gouda	B
		Gouda – 3 Heuwels weir	B
		3 Heuwels – Bridgetown	C
		Dam Wall – De Brug	C
		De Brug – Zoutkloof	C+	Moravia weir, low level bridge
		Kersefontein – Oordraplek	C
		Oordraplek – Port Owen	C
	Breede	Darling Bridge – Wysersdrif	C+	4 low level bridges
		Wysersdrif – Nekkies	C
		Nekkies – Osdrif	C
		Osdrif – Alfiesdrif	C
		Alfiesdrif – Eilandia	C
		Eilandia – Silverstrand	B+	Eilandia & Goree weirs, low level bridge
		McGregor Bridge – Sliding Weir	C
		Sliding weir – Bonnievale	B+	Secunda weir, low level bridges
		Bonnievale – Drew Bridge	C
		Drew bridge – Iron Bridge	B
		Iron Bridge – Die Stroom	B+	Swellendam weir
	Bontebok	Below Bontebok Park	B+	The Waterfall
		Below “Round the Bend”	B
	Olifants	Citrusdal – Patrysberg	C
		Patrysberg – Algeria Bridge	B ch	Dangerous side channels
		Algeria Bridge – Dam	B ch	Dangerous side channels
	Klein	Hermanus – Stanford	F
	Diep	Malmesbury – Van Schoorsdrif	B
		Van Schoorsdrif – Vissersdrif	B
	Moolenaars	All sections	X
	Witte	Baineskloof pass	X
	Palmiet	All sections – permit required	X
	Doring	All section – permit required	A
FSCU	Orange	Makhlotlong – SA border	C
		SA border – Aliwal North	B
		Aliwal North – Gariep Dam	C+	Aliwal North weir
		Garief Dam – PK le Roux Dam	B
		PK le Roux Dam to Orania	C
		Orania to Hopetown	B+	Gert se Perd, Marcel se Monster
		Hopetown to Douglas	B+	Waterfall, Hubbly Bubbly
		Douglas - Prieska	C
		Prieska - Upington	C+	Several big weirs
		Upington – Kanon Eiland	B+	Kanon Eiland weirs
		Kanon Eiland - Keimoes	Ach	Waterfall
		Keimoes - Neusberge	Ach	Waterfall
		Neusberge - Kakamas	B+	Weir, Waterfall
		Kakamas – Augrabies Park	B+	Marschand Weir
		Augrabies Park - Aubrabies Falls	A
		Below Augrabies Falls – Echo Point	X
		Echo Point – Onseepkans

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