Vaal Barrage

Vaal Barrage
Official name Vaal Barrage
Country South Africa
Location Border Gauteng & Free State
Coordinates 26°45′53″S 27°41′30″E / 26.76472°S 27.69167°E / -26.76472; 27.69167Coordinates: 26°45′53″S 27°41′30″E / 26.76472°S 27.69167°E / -26.76472; 27.69167
Opening date 1923
Owner(s) Rand Water
Dam and spillways
Type of dam Barrage
Impounds Vaal River
Height 10 metres (33 ft)
Length 329 metres (1,079 ft)
Reservoir
Creates Vaal Barrage Reservoir
Total capacity 56,712,000 cubic metres (2.0028×109 cu ft)
Catchment area 1,349 hectares (3,330 acres)

The Vaal River Barrage Reservoir is a dam on the Vaal River near Vanderbijlpark, border Gauteng and Free State, South Africa.

The Barrage, created by a set of gates across the Vaal River, was built by Rand Water downstream of the Vaal Dam, in 1923. The reservoir is 64 kilometres long and has a total storage capacity of 63 million litres, a surface area of 168,35 square kilometres and has an average depth of 4,5 metres. The rivers, i.e. Suikerbosrant, Klip, & Rietspruit, that feed into the Vaal River Barrage Reservoir flow from industrial and heavily populated areas such as Johannesburg, Vereeniging and Sasolburg. This reservoir was used to supply water to the Witwatersrand but no longer does so because the quality of its water is deteriorating due to pollution. This reservoir, which is managed by Rand Water, is used for many recreational activities, such as boating, skiing, fishing, swimming and many holiday resorts have grown up on its banks.[1]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Water Origination: The Vaal River System". Rand Water. Retrieved 4 January 2013.


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