Collywobbles (Mbhashe River)

At one point on the river where it twists close together there is a dam in the northern bend from which water is diverted via a 1.4 km long tunnel to the Colley Wobbles hydro-electric power station in the southern bend to bypass the 34 km that the river meanders between the dam and the power station. The 42 MW power station was commissioned in 1985 by TESCOR, the former Transkei Electricity Corporation, and is now operated by Eskom. == Collywobbles vulture colony ==

The Collywobbles is home to an important colony of Cape vultures. The colony which has existed since the 1890s has been known to support up to 300 breeding pairs (1989), but on average it is typically about 200 breeding pairs across 13 separate cliffs where they build their nests, particularly on Main, mSikiti and Ledger cliffs. The vultures use the rural grasslands and woodland south of Mthatha, but rely on the high cliffs for breeding. The Collywobbles Vulture Colony has been designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA SA088) specifically to promote the conservation of this threatened species. ==References ==