Gariep Dam

Gariep Dam is in South Africa, near the town of Norvalspont, bordering the Free State and Eastern Cape provinces. Its primary purpose is for irrigation, domestic and industrial use as well as for power generation.NameThe Gariep Dam was originally named the Hendrik Verwoerd Dam after the first prime minister of the Republic of South Africa Hendrik Verwoerd on its commission in 1971. However, after the end of apartheid, the Verwoerd name was considered unsuitable. The name was officially changed to Gariep Dam on 4 October 1996. Gariep is Khoekhoe for "river", the original name of the Orange River.LocationThe dam is on the Orange River about north-east of Colesberg and south of Bloemfontein. It is in a gorge at the entrance to the Ruigte Valley some east of Norvalspont.DimensionsThe wall is 88 m high and has a crest length of 914 m and contains approximately 1.73 million m³ of concrete. The Gariep Dam is the largest storage reservoir in South Africa. In South African English, 'dam' refers both to the structure and the lake it impounds. Gariep Dam has a total storage capacity of approximately 5340000ML and a surface area of more than when full. The hydro-electrical power station houses four 90 MW generators, giving a maximum output of 360 MW of electricity at a water flow rate of 800 m³/s.