Southern dams overflowing
According to the Hydrological Services of Namibia, high floods have been observed on the lower Orange River, and the situation requires close monitoring.
ELLANIE SMIT
WINDHOEK
While the sluices of the Hardap Dam were finally closed on Sunday at midnight after three days of releases, the Neckartal Dam started to overflow yesterday after reaching more than 100% capacity.
This is the second time in two years the dam is overflowing.
The sluices of the Hardap Dam were first opened on Thursday at 00:00 when the dam reached about 70% of its capacity.
A decision was taken to open the sluices due heavy rains in the catchment area, and Mariental residents were warned that despite the releases, inflow into the dam was expected to be higher than the release rate during the night.
Over the weekend, the dam reached a 75.3% level on Friday afternoon, with releases taking place at 400 cubic meters of water per second, with inflow at the same rate.
On Sunday, the level of the dam started subsiding to 70% again, with releases finally overtaking the inflow and by 21:00 that night, the dam level stood at 70.3%, with releases at 350 cubic meters per second and inflow at about 135 cubic meter per second.
According to NamWater’s latest dam bulletin issued yesterday, the Hardap Dam received 67.3 million cubic meters of water since 17 January and increased its level from 47.7%.
Heavy rains
Meanwhile, the Neckartal Dam stood at 93.7% on 19 January and received an inflow of 15.13 million cubic meters of water between then and Friday. The maximum overflow rate at the dam is expected at around 300 to 400 cubic meter per second.
On Friday, the Naute Dam was 100.7% full and received an inflow of 8.66 million cubic meter of water since last Friday.
The Hydrological Services of Namibia within the agriculture ministry said flows have been observed in some of the country's central, southern and west-flowing ephemeral rivers due to heavy rains in their catchments over the past few days.
“Rivers in Windhoek were in flood due to heavy rainfall this past weekend. For example, the Klein Windhoek River went above the 1.2-metre mark on 19 January.”
It added that high floods were already observed on the lower Orange River during the first week of January.
“The situation requires very close monitoring and high-level alertness because it looks like we are going to have a serious flood on the lower Orange River.”
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WINDHOEK
While the sluices of the Hardap Dam were finally closed on Sunday at midnight after three days of releases, the Neckartal Dam started to overflow yesterday after reaching more than 100% capacity.
This is the second time in two years the dam is overflowing.
The sluices of the Hardap Dam were first opened on Thursday at 00:00 when the dam reached about 70% of its capacity.
A decision was taken to open the sluices due heavy rains in the catchment area, and Mariental residents were warned that despite the releases, inflow into the dam was expected to be higher than the release rate during the night.
Over the weekend, the dam reached a 75.3% level on Friday afternoon, with releases taking place at 400 cubic meters of water per second, with inflow at the same rate.
On Sunday, the level of the dam started subsiding to 70% again, with releases finally overtaking the inflow and by 21:00 that night, the dam level stood at 70.3%, with releases at 350 cubic meters per second and inflow at about 135 cubic meter per second.
According to NamWater’s latest dam bulletin issued yesterday, the Hardap Dam received 67.3 million cubic meters of water since 17 January and increased its level from 47.7%.
Heavy rains
Meanwhile, the Neckartal Dam stood at 93.7% on 19 January and received an inflow of 15.13 million cubic meters of water between then and Friday. The maximum overflow rate at the dam is expected at around 300 to 400 cubic meter per second.
On Friday, the Naute Dam was 100.7% full and received an inflow of 8.66 million cubic meter of water since last Friday.
The Hydrological Services of Namibia within the agriculture ministry said flows have been observed in some of the country's central, southern and west-flowing ephemeral rivers due to heavy rains in their catchments over the past few days.
“Rivers in Windhoek were in flood due to heavy rainfall this past weekend. For example, the Klein Windhoek River went above the 1.2-metre mark on 19 January.”
It added that high floods were already observed on the lower Orange River during the first week of January.
“The situation requires very close monitoring and high-level alertness because it looks like we are going to have a serious flood on the lower Orange River.”
[email protected]
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