Page 7 - Irene Farm Villages Issue 1 2022

Estate News

• Building good and lasting relationships
with our residents.
As we are currently blessed in Gauteng
with exceptionally high rainfall – here
are several interesting facts regarding
some of the dams in South Africa.
• The storage capacity of the
Sterkfontein Dam in the upper Vaal
River catchment is virtually the
same as that of the Vaal Dam, while
its water surface area is only 20%
of the Vaal Dam. The evaporation
losses from Sterkfontein Dam
are accordingly far lower than
those from the Vaal Dam. Water is
therefore kept in reserve in the more
efficient Sterkfontein Dam and only
released once the Vaal Dam is at
its minimum operating level, thus
saving considerable evaporative
losses.
• The dam with the largest storage
capacity is the Gariep Dam on the
Orange River with a capacity of 5 343
million m³.
• The dam with the longest crest is
Bloemhof on the Vaal River with a
length of 4 270m.
• The shortest dam is Hellsgate near
Uitenhage built in 1910 with a crest
length of only 4m. This concrete
dam, with a height of 26m, is built in
a narrow gorge. May we not, during these wonderful
• The dam with the largest volume is wet rainy days, forget that water is still
Sterkfontein near Harrismith with an a scarce commodity in South Africa.
earth fill volume of 19.8 million m³. Although the dams are full, we must
Sterkfontein Dam is the only South continue to use water sparingly.
African dam in the ICOLD Register of Residents are requested – when
the World’s Largest Dams on account walking their dogs – to please clean up
of this characteristic. behind the dogs. Please consider your
• The dam with the largest water fellow residents walking in the streets
surface area is Gariep at 352 km² (352 and on the walking trails.
million m²).
• The highest dam in South Africa is
the Vanderkloof Dam on the Orange We wish all residents
River with a height of 108m. and staff a blessed 2022.
• Currently, the five biggest dams in May good health and
South Africa are full: prosperity be with us all
o Gariep 109 %
o Heyshope 99,9 % this year.
o Vanderkloof 109,7 %
o Sterkfontein 100,9 % Greetings,
o Vaal Dam 110,4 % Estate Management

The Villager • Issue 1 2022 • 5