By Alani Janeke
The water level of the Lower Orange River is expected to peak by the middle of next week, the Department of Water Affairs in Kimberley said at a meeting with farmers on Thursday.
“At present, the floodwaters are expected to reach a peak of about 5.5 m in the Lower Orange River around Wednesday, 16 April,” says Jors van der Westhuizen, who farms in the Grootdrink district along this river and attended the meeting. This increase is due to greater quantities of water being left out of the Vaal Dam since Saturday and Sunday (5 and 6 April) with the opening of a fourth and fifth water gate. Van der Westhuizen said their concerns about the state of the weirs, which were built a few years ago after previous flood damage, were also discussed at the meeting. He said that according to the Department of Water Affairs, the repairs to the weirs were the responsibility of the Department of Agriculture, who had repaired them previously.
“The weirs are sinking into the river, and we are concerned about the impact this could have on irrigation farms along the river.” Because of the frequent stormwater in the past few years, the sand banks on which the weirs were built have softened and have caused the weirs to collapse. Floods have become more frequent in the past few years. This year is the third year in a four-year period during which floodwater has flowed through the area. There was a higher incidence of high-level water flowing through the area during these three years, adding to the softer sand banks.”
Dam levels
On Thursday morning, the Department of Water and Sanitation reduced the outflow from the Bloemhof Dam to 2 500 cubic meters per second (cumec) after raising it to 3 000 cumec on Wednesday. Wisane Mavasa, the department’s spokesperson, said the outflow was reduced after the influx into the dam decreased. The Bloemhof Dam was 116% full on Tuesday and 111.07% full by Thursday morning. The Vaal Dam was 115% full on Thursday morning after rising by 1 percentage point on Wednesday. “For the time being, the status quo is maintained at the Vaal Dam, with the five water gates remaining open. This situation may change as water continues to flow into the dam as a result of the high rainfall since last week in large parts of the Vaal Dam’s catchment area.” The current influx into the dam is 1 055 cumec, and the outflow is about 800 cumec. The department warns that flooding can still occur within the 100-year flood line along the Vaal River system below the Vaal Dam and the Bloemhof Dam and that those living or working within this flood line must leave the area and remove any valuable equipment or infrastructure, as well as livestock.
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