Albert Falls Dam
Albert Falls Dam is a dam in the Umgeni River, just outside Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was established in 1976. It has a gross capacity of 290.1 million cubic meters and a surface area of 23.521 square kilometres (9.082 sq mi), the dam wall is 33 metres (108 ft) high.
| Albert Falls Dam | |
|---|---|
  Location of Albert Falls Dam in KwaZulu-Natal | |
| Official name | Albert Falls Dam |
| Country | South Africa |
| Location | Near Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal |
| Coordinates | 29°26′10″S 30°23′18″E |
| Purpose | Irrigation and domestic |
| Opening date | 1976 |
| Owner(s) | Department of Water Affairs |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Earth fill dam |
| Impounds | Umgeni River |
| Height | 33 metres (108 ft) |
| Length | 2,006 metres (6,581 ft) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Albert Falls Dam Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 290.1 million cubic metres (10.24×109 cu ft) |
| Surface area | 2,350 hectares (5,800 acres) |
A lake-wide bloom of the dinoflagellate Ceratium hirundinella, discovered in Albert Falls Dam in October 2006, exposed a significant ecological change indicative of reduced water quality in this historically mesotrophic reservoir. The spatial distribution of the bloom was examined synoptically in October 2006 and January 2007.[1]
See also
- List of reservoirs and dams in South Africa
- List of rivers in South Africa
References
- Hart, RC; Wragg, PD (2009-05-23). "Recent blooms of the dinoflagellate Ceratium in Albert Falls Dam (KZN): History, causes, spatial features and impacts on a reservoir ecosystem and its zooplankton". Water SA. 35 (4). doi:10.4314/wsa.v35i4.76807. ISSN 0378-4738.
- List of South African Dams from the Department of Water Affairs
Lots of people make use of this dam for fishing, swimming, boating, waterskiing, kneeboarding, sailing, and other water activities. The water is brown and murky.