WHILE there is concern over the state of KZN’s dam levels, particularly the Goedertrouw Dam in eShowe, not all is bad news as statistics for this dam show a marked increase on its 2019 level.
The coastal strip may have received much rain over the past few weeks, but travel just 30km inland, where most catchment areas and dams are located, and the situation is very different, with some inland regions having received only a fraction of the rainfall that coastal areas have enjoyed.
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Goedertrouw Dam has been rising slowly, but steadily since the beginning of October, from 51.08% capacity on 1 October to 51.47% capacity on Tuesday, 13 October.
While this does not appear to be much of an increase, it is an increase nonetheless and only the beginning of the province’s summer rainfall season.
Predictably, the dam’s levels over the years have enjoyed good increases between October and May, with levels dropping during the dry winter months.
On 1 October 2019, Goedertrouw was at 42.21% capacity – almost 10% lower than this year.
This is the same pattern when comparing each month of this year to that of 2019, with each month of 2020 measuring higher levels than those at the same months last year.
After enjoying sustained overall increases from early November last year, in mid-May this year, when the dam measured an impressive 56.21% capacity, the winter decline of levels began.
This year’s winter decline saw the level drop to 51.08%.
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The 2019 winter period saw Goedertrouw Dam’s levels start dropping on 1 May (50.41%) until 1 November, when it measured 40.85%.
On 1 November 2018, the dam’s level was much higher than last year, at 47.04%, while the same date in 2017 saw the dam down to 31.71%.
This is, however, not the lowest to which the dam’s levels have declined in recent years, with New Year’s Day in 2017 measuring a mere 18.99%.
Taking summer and winter fluctuations into account, by the end of that year, Goedertrouw Dam measured a healthier 36.65%.
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