Driekloof Dam

Driekloof Dam
Weir separating Sterkfontein and Driekloof Dams with Driekloof in the background.
Official name	Driekloof Dam
Location	Free State, South Africa
Coordinates	28°30′59″S 29°03′49″E / 28.5165°S 29.0635°E / -28.5165; 29.0635
Opening date	1979
Dam and spillways
Height	47 m
Length	500 m
Impounds	Nuwejaar Spruit
Reservoir
Creates	Driekloof Dam
Capacity	35,600,000 cubic metres (1.26×109 cu ft)[1]
Catchment area	191 ha
Driekloof Dam

Driekloof Dam is a small section of the Sterkfontein Dam, Free State, South Africa. A section of the Sterkfontein Dam reservoir is isolated after the construction of Driekloof Dam, this small reservoir has a capacity of 35,600,000 cubic metres (1.26×10⁹ cu ft).^[1], together with the Kilburn Dam almost 500 meters lower, Driekloof forms part of Eskom's Drakensberg Pumped Storage Scheme and Tugela-Vaal Water Project, and provides for up to 27.6GWh of electricity storage in the form of 275,000,000 cubic metres (9.7×10⁹ cu ft) of water. The water is pumped to Driekloof during times of low national power consumption (generally over weekends) and released back into Kilburn through four 250 MW turbine generators in times of high electricity demand.^[2]

The scheme is operated in such a way that there is a net pumping of up to 631,000,000 cubic metres (2.23×10¹⁰ cu ft)/annum depending upon the water availability in the Tugela catchment (Woodstock Dam) as well as the need for augmentation in the Vaal Dam catchment.

The Driekloof Dam was commissioned in 1979, has a capacity of 32,071 cubic metres (1,132,600 cu ft), and a surface area of 1.906 square kilometres (0.736 sq mi), the Dam wall is 47 metres (154 ft) high.

See also

• Kilburn Dam
• Woodstock Dam
• Sterkfontein Dam
• Spioenkop Dam
• Vaal Dam

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "STERKFONTEIN DAM". Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (South Africa). http://www.dwaf.gov.za/orange/Vaal/sterkfon.htm. Retrieved 19 December 2009. 
2. ^ "Drakensberg Pumped Storage Scheme". Eskom. 2005-10. http://www.eskom.co.za/content/Drakensburg%20FA%20Pg%2001-06.pdf. Retrieved 2008-11-09. 

External links