Clanwilliam Dam

Clanwilliam Dam
Location in the Western Cape
Official name	Clanwilliam Dam
Country	South Africa
Location	Western Cape
Coordinates	32°11′5″S 18°52′1″E / 32.18472°S 18.86694°ECoordinates: 32°11′5″S 18°52′1″E / 32.18472°S 18.86694°E
Purpose	Irrigation
Opening date	1935 (wall raised in 1964)
Owner(s)	Department of Water Affairs
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Gravity dam
Impounds	Olifants River
Height	43 m (141 ft)
Length	235 m (771 ft)
Reservoir
Creates	Clanwilliam Dam Reservoir
Total capacity	121,800,000 m^3 (4.30×10^9 cu ft)
Surface area	1,124 ha (2,780 acres)

Clanwilliam Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Olifants River, near Clanwilliam, Western Cape, South Africa. It was established in 1935, and the wall was raised to its current height of 43 metres (141 ft) in 1964.^[1] The main purpose of the dam is to provide irrigation water to the agricultural region downstream. It has a capacity of 121,800,000 cubic metres (4.30×10⁹ cu ft).^[2]

The feasibility of raising the dam wall by another 15 metres has been investigated.

In 2015 an infrastructure development company has been appointed to do the supervision and contracts management of the project to raise the dam level. As of August 2015 the dam is planned to be raised by 13 meters, increasing its capacity by 70 million cubic metres of water.^[3]

See also

• List of reservoirs and dams in South Africa
• List of rivers of South Africa

References

1. Holtzhausen, Lani (2006). "Dam Project Could Improve Aquatic Environment". The Water Wheel. 5 (1). Water Research Commission. ISSN 0258-2244.
2. "Clanwilliam Dam". Dams of South Africa. Water Institute of South Africa. Retrieved 7 March 2010.
3. "Bigen Africa appointed to manage extension of Clanwilliam Dam". Retrieved 2 January 2016.