Umfolozi River's Shortest Route to St Lucia Estuary Blocked

By Friday afternoon, 9 March, authorities monitoring the opening of St Lucia Estuary had blocked the Umfolozi River's shortest route to enter the estuary, while cutting a much longer trench to the West. The end of said trench being left closed, presumably until such time as the river is again separated from the ocean and able to flow into the Estuary. 

As can be seen in the accompanying photographs, a newly erected, man made sand dune blocks what became the Umfolozi Mouth's entry to St Lucia Estuary as a result of Tropical Cyclone Irina.  KZN Wildlife officials were unfortunately not on hand to explain the latest earthworks although they had, on Wednesday of last week, indicated their intention of allowing the Umfolozi River easier access to the estuary through intervention.  One of the three KZN Wildlife officials interviewed by St Lucia News on Wednesday had said that heavy rains forecast for this weekend further inland should permanently open the St Lucia Estuary mouth, although this appears not to have been the case.