The Challenge
Over the years, the edges of Zoo Lake have slowly worn away. As the soil along the banks has eroded, tree roots have become exposed, and the once-smooth path around the lake is starting to crack and crumble. This makes it difficult, and even dangerous, for people to walk safely, especially for the elderly, children, and those with mobility challenges.
Because the vegetation that used to hold the soil in place has disappeared, the problem is getting worse. Every time it rains, more soil washes into the lake. If nothing is done, the lake will gradually fill with silt — and we risk losing this beloved public space, bit by bit.
The longer we wait, the harder and more expensive it will be to fix.
The Solution
To protect the lake for generations to come, we’re taking a natural, sustainable approach to restore and strengthen the banks:
Place natural stabilisers like rocks and tree trunks to break the force of rain and runoff, helping to hold the soil in place.
Rebuild the eroded banks by layering new soil and nutrient-rich topsoil on top of these stabilisers.
Cover the area with sisal netting, a temporary layer that helps keep the new soil intact while plants take root.
Plant shrubs and native vegetation that won’t be eaten by ducks — these plants will help absorb water and bind the soil with their roots.
Care for the new plant life by watering and maintaining it until it’s strong enough to thrive on its own.
Reinforce steeper banks using eco-friendly solutions like gabions and porous paving.
Use porous bricks to create safe, durable access points to the water and seating areas.
This is a chance to restore and future-proof Zoo Lake’s banks, keeping the lake clean, the pathways safe, and the space beautiful for everyone.
Project Milestones
May 2018 - "Zoo Lake is in desperate need of attention."
"Zoo Lake is in desperate need of attention."
This was the view of a number of the residents who banded together under the chairmanship of Fran Haslam to resuscitate the Zoo Lake Users Committee. The erosion on the banks of the lake was in distress and needed immediate action. There were several reasons for this erosion, and they include:
Bad channelling of storm water that has washed all the topsoil into the lake, making it impossible for plants to grow.
People walking to the water's edge and trampling vegetation.
The resident birds are making landfall from the lake.
Due to the large extent of the damage, the Committee realised that the rehabilitation process would take time, money and the work of many volunteers.
April 2019 - Erosion Project gets the green light
Two volunteers, Jacky and her husband, Laurent Cresteil, set about creating a plan to address the problem. They broke the problem up into eleven separate phases, in order of the urgency of each phase.
On 25 April, after eight months of numerous meetings with Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo, and a final walk around the lake with senior City managers, Jane Eagle, Rose Abdullah and Alton Rankin, Jane approved the plan, subject to five conditions (see insert). She gave the Committee permission to go ahead.
June 2019 - Inaugural Volunteer Day with the Ridge School
The Zoo Lake Erosion Project was launched on 1 June 2019, which we set as a special "Volunteer Day". We received help from The Ridge School, volunteers from the public, members of the Zoo Lake Users Committee and City Parks and staff, who all worked tirelessly to install the terraced logs along the banks of the lake. With all this hel,p we successfully achieved all our goals for the day! The logs were constantly checked throughout the following two weeks to ensure that there was no movement and that they were secure.
In particular, this was part of a very special initiative for the Ridge School as the school was celebrating its Centenary year. One of the Centenary initiatives was a special Ridge School Action Day, designed to emphasise and encourage a spirit of volunteering and community service. Students and their parents from the Ridge school volunteered at least 2 - 3 hours of community service at Zoo Lake.
August 2019 - Second Volunteer Day
Two weeks before the volunteer day, the Garden and Tree Committee volunteers lifted existing Dietes and Agapanthas corms from the Park flower beds, split the corms and prepared them for planting.
Our second volunteer day had a very positive response from the public, with over 80 volunteers. A huge amount of plants were made available, which were familiar with their environment, for planting in our rehab area, which allowed us to complete the area we had prepared. Once again, we achieved our goals for the day.
July 2021 - Progress on the West side of the Lake
