Katse Dam
Overview
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
arch dam
Arch dam
An arch dam is a type of dam that is curved and commonly built with concrete. The arch dam is a structure that is designed to curve upstream so that the force of the water against it, known as hydrostatic pressure, presses against the arch, compressing and strengthening the structure as it pushes...
on the Malibamat'so River
Malibamat'so River
The Malibamat'so River is a river in northern Lesotho. It flows south from close to the South African border, past the town of Ha Lejone, and joins the Senqu River close to the town of Taung. The waters of the Malibamat'so River are dammed by the Katse Dam, the continent's highest ....
in Lesotho
Lesotho
Lesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name...
, is Africa's second largest dam. (The Tekezé Dam
Tekezé Dam
Tekezé Dam is a double-curvature arch dam in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia on the Tekezé River, a Nile tributary that flows through one of the deepest canyons in the world. At the time of completion, the high dam is said to be Africa's largest arch dam. The dam consists of four...
, completed in early 2009, is now Africa's largest double curvature dam). The dam is part of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project
Lesotho Highlands Water Project
The Lesotho Highlands Water Project is an ongoing water supply project with a hydropower component, developed in partnership between the governments of Lesotho and South Africa. It comprises a system of several large dams and tunnels throughout Lesotho and South Africa. In Lesotho, it involves the...
, which will eventually include five large dams in remote rural areas.
The potential of the project was identified by the South African civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
Ninham Shand (now Aurecon
Aurecon
Aurecon provides engineering, management, design, planning, project management, consulting and specialist technical services for government and private sector clients globally.- History :...
) as a possible means to supplement the water supply to South Africa.
Unanswered Questions
