Mohale Dam

Mohale dam holds back the Senqunyane in the mountains east of Maseru, a concrete-faced rockfill wall of around one hundred and forty five metres completed in 2002 as the second phase of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, which sells Lesotho's water to South Africa and sells the electricity generated on the way. A tunnel links its reservoir to Katse. The road out to it climbs through the highlands and is spectacular in itself.

Background

The dam stands 145 metres high, said to be the highest concrete-faced rock-fill dam in Africa, and is 700 metres long with a crest 12 metres wide. Its structure holds 7.5 million m³ of material. Above it, the river drains a catchment of 938 square kilometres. A concrete spillway is built to pass 6,000 m3 per second in flood. Water leaves the reservoir at a regulated 9.5 m3 per second and flows by gravity to Katse through a concrete-lined tunnel 32 kilometres long and 3.4 metres in internal diameter. The dam received the 2005 Fulton Awards from the Concrete Society of South Africa.

Source: Wikipedia, "Mohale Dam"

What to look for

• The rockfill wall - around one hundred and forty five metres of concrete-faced rock.
• The reservoir - the water held in the mountain valleys behind the dam.
• The transfer tunnel - the link carrying water through to the Katse reservoir.
• The mountain road - the climb out from Maseru through the highlands.

When to go

March to May and September to November are the mild months. Winter brings snow and cold to the highlands. Summer rain fills the reservoir.

Practical notes

Tours of the dam must be arranged in advance through the authority. The road is long and winding. Communities were resettled to make the reservoir, which the project's own records acknowledge.

Nearby

Katse Dam is northeast, and Maseru is west.

Key facts