Dams brimming over after continuous rains

HEAVY rains have filled up dams in Namibia to an average of 74% compared to last year when it was only 64,8%. In the Windhoek area, the dams have reached a total of 89,7% of their capacity while last year the total was only 67%.

The Swakoppoort Dam was yesterday 100,1% full and the Omatako 98,5% with transfers from both dams taking place to the Von Bach Dam, which yesterday only measured 68,1%. Meanwhile an inflow was recorded of 0,016 million cu.m into the Friedenhau Dam and it stood at 90,5% of capacity. In the area of Gobabis, the average of the reservoirs was 89%.

The Otjivero Main Dam was yesterday 100% full and recorded 0,380 million cu.m inflow, compared to only 59,4% last year. Although the Tilda Viljoen Dam recorded a slight inflow of 0,009 million cu.m it is only 29,7% full, much lower than last year at 62,5% full. The Daan Viljoen Dam stood 29,1% of its capacity in comparison to the previous year when it was at 4,2%. In the South the total capacity of the dams are 77,1% which is somewhat more than last year when it was at 74%.

The sluices of the Hardap Dam was opened yesterday when it reached 72% to reduce the level back to 70%, while releases from the Naute Dam also took place The Naute Dam was yesterday at 98% of its capacity. Last year the Hardap was 71% full and the Naute Dam 96,6%. The Oanob Dam received an inflow of 0,546 million cu.m and was overflowing at 101,8%. The previous year the dam filled only 77,9% of its capacity.

The Driehuk Dam is 7,3% full in comparison to the previous year when it was 2,1% and the Bondels Dam is at 1,3% while last year it was 0,6%. A total of more than 1,8 million cu.m was recorded in Namibia’s reservoirs during the past week.