Kalkfontein Dam

Kalkfontein Dam
Kalkfontein Dam from Space
Official name	Kalkfontein Dam
Country	South Africa
Location	Koffiefontein, Free State
Coordinates	29°29′45″S 25°13′20″E
Purpose	Irrigation and household
Opening date	1938 (renovated 1977)
Owner(s)	Department of Water Affairs
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	rockfill
Impounds	Riet River
Height	36 m
Length	317 m
Reservoir
Creates	Kalkfontein Dam Reservoir
Total capacity	258 274 000 m³
Surface area	3 769.7 ha

Kalkfontein Dam is a rockfill type dam located on the Riet River, near Koffiefontein, Free State, South Africa. It was established in 1938 and renovated in 1977. The primary purpose of the dam is to serve for irrigation purposes and its hazard potential has been ranked high (3). Kalkfontein Dam reservoir is often quite low (10-20% full) as the upstream area is hot and dry and too small to fill a dam of this size, however during flooding on the Orange River, water is transferred from the Orange River at Vanderkloof Dam to Kalkfontein Dam. In 2021 this led to the reservoir rising from 17.3% to 61.7% in a single week.

See also

• List of reservoirs and dams in South Africa
• List of rivers of South Africa

References

• List of South African Dams from the South African Department of Water Affairs