Beervlei Dam

Beervlei Dam
Beervlei dam from N9-National road
Official nameBeervlei Dam
LocationSouth Africa
Coordinates33°4′30″S 23°29′1″E / 33.07500°S 23.48361°E / -33.07500; 23.48361
Opening date1957
Operator(s)Department of Water Affairs
Dam and spillways
ImpoundsGroot River
Height31 m
Length348 m
Reservoir
CreatesBeervlei Dam Reservoir
Total capacity85 800 000 m3
Surface area231 ha

Beervlei Dam is a dam across the Groot River, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Established in 1957, it has the capacity of 85,800,000 cubic metres (3.03×109 cu ft), and a surface area of 23.145 square kilometres (8.936 sq mi), and the dam wall is 31 m high. The main purpose of the dam is to provide flood absorption. The Karoo sediments in the area contain a lot of salts and it has been found that lengthy storage of water results in high water salinity. Any flood water is used as quickly as possible by the downstream irrigators and the reservoir is kept empty for extended periods.