Goerdertrouw Dam facts you may not know
The official name for the water supply dam on the Mhlathuze River feeding southern Zululand is the Goedertrouw Dam
ALTHOUGH often referred to as the Phobane Lake, the official name for the water supply dam on the Mhlathuze River feeding southern Zululand is the Goedertrouw Dam.
Construction of the dam began in 1980 and the dam was opened in 1982 by the then Department of Water Affairs and Forestry.
The earth-fill wall is 88 metres high and 660 metres long.
The total full storage capacity (FSC) is 301 000 000m³ and the dam surface is 1200ha when full.
PHOTO: Larry Bentley
The catchment area is relatively small at 1270km².
The dam is presently holding steady at around 34% of its FSC compared to around 19% at the same time last year.
Goedertrouw Dam provides water to Melmoth, eShowe and Gingindlovu.
It is also and important source of water for Empangeni and Richards Bay, although these towns also have other sources for their water supply such as the Mfuli, Nseleni and Mhlathuzana Rivers.
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