By Alani Janeke
Farmers are repairing the sand and retaining walls damaged by the continuously high river levels along the lower Orange River before the peak floodwaters from the Vaal and Bloemhof dams reach them this week.
On Tuesday morning, the river’s flood level was approximately 6 metres deep at Grootdrink. In 2011, the previous record flood level at Grootdrink was 7.1 metres deep, says Jors van der Westhuizen, a farmer from the district.
The Department of Water Affairs increased the outlet of the Bloemhof Dam by 1 000 m³ per second (cumec) on Monday. The peak of the released flood water will reach Grootdrink by the end of the week.
Van der Westhuizen says the retaining walls can handle flood levels of 7.5 m deep, and they hope that the large amount of water on its way will not exceed this level. He says some of the retaining walls, built after previous floods, have begun to collapse this season due to the continuous high river levels that have eroded the sandbanks on which they were constructed.
The men are now planning to repair the sand and retaining walls. They are also sealing the pipes that typically drain water from the orchards, vineyards, and lands into the river to prevent the river from backflowing through them.
“Nerves are on edge this week,” he says.
Peak
According to the department, the peak of the flood at Katlani will be about 4 800 cumec by 2 May. This water will reach Upington by Sunday or Monday, says Wilco Fourie, chairman of the Orange River Agricultural Union. He expects the water level to rise to about 4 400 or 4 500 cumec, rather than as high as the department indicates.
This week, the department’s expected peak is higher than the flood levels recorded in 2011 and 2023. On 1 March 2023, the river flowed at 4 483 cumec at Upington. On 13 January 2011, a record level of 4 733 cumec was observed at Upington.
Meanwhile, the Vaal Dam was 119.18% full on Tuesday, the Bloemhof Dam at 117.19%, the Grootdraai Dam at 106.09%, the Vanderkloof Dam at 108%, and the Gariep Dam at 111%. One sluice of the Grootdraai Dam in Mpumalanga, which flows to the Vaal Dam, is still open.
According to the department’s latest information, the inflow into the Vaal Dam has decreased to 1 338.80 cumec, while the outflow is 1 771 cumec. Until further notice, ten sluices will remain open. The outflow level of the Bloemhof Dam remains at 3 600 cumec.
Both the Gariep and Vanderkloof dams are currently overflowing their banks.
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