Residents swapped a leisurely Sunday in the park for wheelbarrows, buckets, and shovels as volunteers from SRK Consulting returned to the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens on July 26 to continue restoring the middle dam spillway.

The latest volunteer day picked up where the previous one left off after the team ran out of materials before the repairs could be completed. “We’re working on the same spillway,” explained Linda Spies. “We ran out of energy and material last time, so we had to order more material and continue today.”

Read more: Community effort launches repair work at Botanical Gardens spillway

After the first repair day, the team estimated the project to be about 80% complete, with encouraging signs that their hard work is making a difference. “The biggest improvement has been less flow in the eroded channel downstream. We’re stopping further erosion. We haven’t stopped the flow completely, but it’s definitely decreased. It’s not such a strong, forceful gush anymore – it’s just a trickle.”

The second phase of the project has not been without its challenges. As the repaired wall began redirecting water across the spillway as intended, water built up behind the structure, creating a new overflow point. Volunteers brought in a pump to lower the water level, but when it stopped working, they quickly improvised. “We’ve had people bailing water with buckets just to keep the area where we’re working a bit drier until it’s completely ready.”

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Around 10 regular volunteers returned for the follow-up work, joined by about five newcomers. Curious visitors passing through the gardens also lent a hand, with some stopping to push a wheelbarrow or help wherever they could.

For Spies, it was important that the project continued rather than ending after a single volunteer day. “We hadn’t got the wall to a point where it wouldn’t be eroded again. We needed to build it to the right level; otherwise, the water would simply undo everything we’d already done.”

Once complete, she hopes visitors will not only notice the restored spillway; they’ll recognise the power of community action. “I hope they notice this beautiful cascade of water coming down the spillway. It’s difficult to appreciate just how much work has gone into it, but I also hope people see that others are being proactive and caring for the park. Hopefully, it inspires them to get involved too.

“Get involved in your community and your parks, every little bit counts.”

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