Hartebeestpoort Dam

96 years ago Construction of the Hartbeespoort Dam officially began in 1916. However, legal issues, as well as the First World War, hampered production, and the dam was completed only in 1923 after FW Scott tackled the project with renewed energy.

“In this issue we publish a number of special photographs of the great Hartebeestpoort Dam now nearing completion, and, in order to enable readers to form a better idea of the nature of the work, we reprint hereunder an article published in The Farmer’s Weekly of May 31st. That article was the result of a visit to the dam construction works last April; the photos were taken in August (four months later) and show the wall at a nearer approach to completion. Although September has passed without the final goal being reached as anticipated, it is understood that the official opening of the dam will be possible before the end of the present year. The article above referred to reads as follows:

HOLDING UP THE CROCODILE

“Hartebeestpoort is a narrow gap in the Magaliesberg, some 25 miles [about 40km] west of Pretoria, and is geologically described as a ‘trough fault.’ The opening is pierced by the Crocodile River, close below the point in the latter’s course where it is joined by the Magalies River, and above it lies a wide natural basin that makes the whole site an ideal one for the purpose of water storage. Hence the Hartebeestpoort Irrigation Scheme, by far the largest Government undertaking of its kind at present in hand, the total cost of the work being estimated at something like a million sterling and the land to be irrigated at 30 000 acres [12 140ha]. The lake, which after completion of the dam will take anything from 24 hours to 24 months to fill, will run back for miles up both the rivers named, as well as up various minor streams.