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Papendorp Salt Pan, Papendorp Farm, Papendorp, Matzikama Local Municipality, West Coast District Municipality, Western Cape, South Africai
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
31° 42' 30'' South , 18° 12' 16'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Vredendal | 14,806 (2012) | 28.4km |
The floor of the pan is about 1 m above sea level and is separated from the sea by sand dunes which are between 7.5 and 15 m high and several hundred metres wide and from the Olifants river mouth to the north, by mud banks. The pan marks the site of the former mouth of the river, which subsequently migrated 500 m north to it's present position.
The pan floor is underlain by brown, grey and black sandy clay and subordinate shelly clay at least 2.1 m thick of probable Quaternary age. The pan brines are obtained directly from the estuarine saline water during flood events, ingression from sea water beneath the sand dunes and from connate water in the underlying saline clay. However, during the period of salt extraction from 1920 until 1975 saline water was introduced to the pan annually at the end of winter by means of a channel that was constructed between the pan and the river estuary. Once the water depth reached 0.6 m the channel was closed and the water left to evaporate during the dry summer months into a series of shallow pits dug into the pan floor. The precipitated salt was then reaped using long-handled spades and, when this process had been completed by January, the pan could again be flooded, allowing for two yields in one season. Minimum and maximum annual production varied between 270 and 635 t and the grade of the precipitated salt was 95.16% NaCl, with only 1.4% bitter salts, (Cole, 2013).
Commodity List
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