Sterkfontein Dam
Encyclopedia
The Sterkfontein Dam, located just outside the town of Harrismith
, in the Free State
, province of South Africa
, is part of the Tugela-Vaal Water Project, and located on the Nuwejaarspruit, in the upper catchment area of the Vaal River
. The dam receives its water via the Tugela-Vaal Project which is a pumped-storage scheme involving the net transfer of up to 630 million m3 of water from KwaZulu-Natal. This is stored in Sterkfontein Dam and released to Vaal Dam
via the Wilge River when needed. The Sterkfontein Dam is a very effective reservoir, since it has the depth to store lots of water, with very little loss to evaporation (the Vaal Dam has a very large lake (reservoir), with lots of evaporation). The Sterkfontein Dam was originally commissioned in 1977 and comprised 69m high earthfill embankment 2 290m long with no spillway. It was subsequently raised in 1980 to its current height of 93m with a crest length of 3 060m and a full supply capacity of 2 656 million m3. At full supply, it has a surface area of less than 70km2. The extended dam was commissioned in 1980, and has a capacity of 2616950 cubic metres (92,416,715.7 cu ft), with a surface area of only 67.26 square kilometres (26 sq mi), the dam wall is 93 metres (305.1 ft) high.
The dam wall contains 17 million m3 of material making it the largest dam wall in South Africa with regard to volume, while the reservoir formed by the dam is the third largest in the country.
The Driekloof Dam next to it, is regarded as a separated dam and reservoir, and is not included in the above figures.
Harrismith
Harrismith, named after Sir Harry Smith, is a large town in the Free State province of South Africa, situated on the N3 highway approximately midway between Johannesburg, about 300 km north-east, and Durban. The town is at the junction with the N5 highway, which continues west towards the...
, in the Free State
Free State
The Free State is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Orange Free State Boer republic and later Orange Free State Province. The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans...
, province of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, is part of the Tugela-Vaal Water Project, and located on the Nuwejaarspruit, in the upper catchment area of the Vaal River
Vaal River
The Vaal River is the largest tributary of the Orange River in South Africa. The river has its source in the Drakensberg mountains in Mpumalanga, east of Johannesburg and about 30 km north of Ermelo and only about 240 km from the Indian Ocean. It then flows westwards to its conjunction...
. The dam receives its water via the Tugela-Vaal Project which is a pumped-storage scheme involving the net transfer of up to 630 million m3 of water from KwaZulu-Natal. This is stored in Sterkfontein Dam and released to Vaal Dam
Vaal dam
The Vaal Dam in South Africa was constructed in 1938 and lies 77 km south of OR Tambo International Airport Formerly Jan Smuts Airport, then renamed Johannesburg International Airport in 1994, before being renamed yet again on 27th October 2006 as ORT. The lake behind the dam wall has a...
via the Wilge River when needed. The Sterkfontein Dam is a very effective reservoir, since it has the depth to store lots of water, with very little loss to evaporation (the Vaal Dam has a very large lake (reservoir), with lots of evaporation). The Sterkfontein Dam was originally commissioned in 1977 and comprised 69m high earthfill embankment 2 290m long with no spillway. It was subsequently raised in 1980 to its current height of 93m with a crest length of 3 060m and a full supply capacity of 2 656 million m3. At full supply, it has a surface area of less than 70km2. The extended dam was commissioned in 1980, and has a capacity of 2616950 cubic metres (92,416,715.7 cu ft), with a surface area of only 67.26 square kilometres (26 sq mi), the dam wall is 93 metres (305.1 ft) high.
The dam wall contains 17 million m3 of material making it the largest dam wall in South Africa with regard to volume, while the reservoir formed by the dam is the third largest in the country.
The Driekloof Dam next to it, is regarded as a separated dam and reservoir, and is not included in the above figures.
See also
- Driekloof DamDriekloof DamDriekloof Dam is a small section of the Sterkfontein Dam, Free State, South Africa. A section of the Sterkfontein Dam reservoir is isolated after the construction of Driekloof Dam, this small reservoir has a capacity of ., together with the Kilburn Dam almost 500 meters lower, Driekloof forms part...
- Kilburn DamKilburn DamThe Kilburn Dam, part of the Tugela-Vaal Water Project and Drakensberg Pumped Storage Scheme, is located lower than the Sterkfontein Dam, on the Mnjaneni River, near Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal, province of South Africa...
- Woodstock DamWoodstock DamWoodstock Dam is located on the upper reaches of the Tugela, KwaZulu-Natal, province South Africa and is the main source of water for the Thukela-Vaal Transfer Scheme....
- Spioenkop DamSpioenkop DamSpioenkop Dam impounds the Tugela River in KwaZulu-Natal. It is located within a nature reserve by the same name. The dam was commissioned in 1973, has a capacity of , and a surface area of , the dam wall is high....
- List of reservoirs and dams in South Africa