Vicious Vista….. be aware of Vaal Dam’s hazards!

Bronwyn Adams, a blogger for Ster and Vaalweekblad, writes:
The Vaal Dam is over 100% full, yes that’s possible – and without bursting its banks – but be aware of its hazards!
With the Vaal Dam level now at 106% it’s all hands on deck as Central SA takes to the waters of our ‘land-locked sea’. But if you boating & skiing, sailing or even swimming beware of the dangers that lurk beneath – like fences, derelict houses or jetties dislodged by storms last week – look out for buoys marking some of the spots and steer wide, very wide.
While stories go viral over so-called ‘flooding’ of the dam it’s pure bliss here, so far… The dam wall was build in the 1930’s. In the 70’s it was raised, which is why true ‘full’ for the Vaal lies at the 126% level. The pics say it all 1010.jpg (left) at the beginning of the month with a tree marking the focal point, Beacon Island is just visible to the right, in the middle of the much reduced dam waters (at 65%).
To the left is an outhouse and jetty – they’re now submersed and have become deadly hazards just beneath the water’s surface.
Pic 1011.jpg (right) zooms in on the action. Storms and the growing currents in the dam swept the house down. This pic shows the same tree (left) with the stadium lights drawing our attention to the balustrade just skirting the waters surface, for now. Add another percent or two and the bird will no longer have a perch!
I’ve asked water affairs to mark the spot with a couple of buoys, we’ll have to wait and see. I’ll mark the hazard on the charts of the dam that we supply from the Navy, the SAN 2051, but that will take some time, which is running out for an accident waiting to happen.
Check out the video on FB Venue Africa:

https://www.facebook.com/Venue-Africa-424097874390759/?fref=ts

PHOTOS:

Before: Beneath the water the stilts of outhouses many of which have become hazards
following the filling of the Vaal Dam.
After: Beyond the spot lights the balustrade of the derelict house is just visible – with a
Cormorant about to sun itself on the rails.