Last Updated 2024-04-16
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Please note that the above summaries are not representative of all dams within any of the Provinces or Water Management Areas.
The summaries only reflect the storages for those dams listed in the Weekly State of Reservoirs Report.
Balancing Dams
Unlike a storage dam where the primary purpose is the long term storage of water, a balancing dam is designed to act as a multi-purpose facility.
Commonly it would serve as a distribution point from where water is diverted into pipelines, canals or power generating turbines or to serve
as a pumping station. In some instances the balancing dam may have no natural catchment of its own. Water is usually fed into the dam from one
or more outside sources in such a way that a balance is struck between the water entering at one end and being distributed at the other.
Depending on the size of the dam, it may happen that the volume of water passing through the dam in the course of a day may exceed the
capacity of the dam. The constant in and outflow of water will cause the water level in the dam to fluctuate, and the smaller the balancing
dam the larger and more rapid such fluctuations will be.
Dams marked with a ~ in the Weekly Bulletin fall under the above description and water levels at these dams can therefore be expected to vary considerably from week to week.
NOTE:
Beervlei Dam does not qualify as either a balancing dam or a storage dam but belongs to a category
of its own. The dam was built as a flood control dam to protect the Gamtoos River Valley from flooding.
In order to perform its flood control function the dam is operated at 0 %.
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