The Orange River is the longest river in South Africa and the Orange River Basin extends extensively into Namibia and Botswana to the north. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean. The river forms part of the international borders between South Africa and Namibia and between South Africa and Lesotho, as well as several provincial borders within South Africa. Except for Upington, it does not pass through any major cities. The Orange River plays an important role in the South African economy by providing water for irrigation and hydroelectric power. The river was named the Orange River in honour of the Dutch ruling family, the House of Orange, by the Dutch explorer Robert Jacob Gordon. Other names include Gariep River, Groote River or Senqu River.
The Vaal River is the largest tributary of the Orange River in South Africa. The river has its source near Breyten in Mpumalanga province, east of Johannesburg and about 30 kilometres (19 mi) north of Ermelo and only about 240 kilometres (150 mi) from the Indian Ocean. It then flows westwards to its conjunction with the Orange River southwest of Kimberley in the Northern Cape. It is 1,120 kilometres (700 mi) long, and forms the border between Mpumalanga, Gauteng and North West Province on its north bank, and the Free State on its south.
The Molopo River is one of the main rivers in Southern Africa. It has a length of approximately 960 kilometres and a catchment area of 367,201 km2 with Botswana, Namibia and South Africa sharing roughly about a third of the basin each.
The Breede River, also known as Breë River, is a river in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Travelling inland north from Cape Town, the river runs in a west to east direction. The surrounding western mountains formed the first continental divide experienced by European settlers in the 18th century. The Titus River and Dwars River become the Breë River.
The Jukskei River is one of the largest rivers in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is the southernmost river in the Crocodile River (West) basin.
Hartbeespoort Dam is an arch type dam situated in the North West Province of South Africa. It lies in a valley to the south of the Magaliesberg mountain range and north of the Witwatersberg mountain range, about 35 kilometres north west of Johannesburg and 20 kilometres west of Pretoria. The name of the dam means "gorge of the hartebeest" in Afrikaans. This "poort" in the Magaliesberg was a popular spot for hunters, where they cornered and shot the hartebeest. The dam was originally designed for irrigation, which is currently its primary use, as well as for domestic and industrial use. The dam has suffered from a hypertrophic state since the early 1970s. Mismanagement of waste water treatment from urban zones within the Hartbeespoort Dam catchment area is largely to blame, having distorted the food web with over 280 tons of phosphate and nitrate deposits.
Manyuchi Dam forms a reservoir on the Mwenezi River in southern Zimbabwe. It is located in the Mwenezi District. The building of the dam was financed by the Mwenezi Development Corporation. The dam was built to irrigate oil palm estates.
Mwenezi River is a major tributary of the Limpopo River. The Mwenezi River starts up in south central Zimbabwe and flows south-east along what is known as the Mwenezi River Valley that bisects the district into two sectors. The river is found in both Zimbabwe and Mozambique. In Zimbabwe it has been known as the Nuanetsi or Nuanetzi River in the past, a name it retains in Mozambique.
Crocodile (West) and Marico WMA, or Crocodile (West) and Marico Water Management Area , in South Africa is sub-divided into 6 sub-management areas each corresponding with a (part) river drainage area, and include the following major rivers: the Crocodile River and Marico River, sub divided into an upper Crocodile River sub-management area and a lower Crocodile River sub-management area. The Marico River sub-management area, the upper Molopo River sub-management area, The Elands River sub-management area, and the Apies River / Pienaars River sub-management area.
Inkomati WMA, or Inkomati Water Management Area , in South Africa is situated in the north-eastern part of South Africa in the Mpumalanga Province, with a small area in the Limpopo Province. It borders on Mozambique in the east and on Swaziland in the south-east. The water management area extends over several parallel river catchments which all drain in a general easterly direction, and flow together at the border with Mozambique or within Mozambique, to form the Incomati River which discharges into the Indian Ocean immediately north of Maputo. A special situation is presented by the Komati River, the most southern tributary of the Incomati River, which rises in South Africa and flows into Swaziland, then re-enters South Africa where it is joined by the Crocodile River at the border with Mozambique, before flowing into Mozambique as the Incomati River. The Sabie River is the other main river in the water management area and flows into Corumuna Dam in Mozambique just downstream of the border with South Africa, and upstream of its confluence with the Inkomati River.
Pongolapoort Dam, commonly referred to as Lake Jozini, is an arch type dam in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa located on the Phongolo River. The dam is situated 280 km north-east of the port city of Durban. The dam was constructed in 1973 at the eastern end of the narrow gorge separating the Lebombo and Ubombo ranges and was the largest dam in South Africa at the time of its construction. The dam mainly serves for irrigation purposes and its hazard potential has been ranked high (3). The Phongolo River is the dams largest feeder as well as the dams only perennial feeder.
Buffelspoort Dam is an arch type dam in the Sterkstroom River, a tributary of the Crocodile River (West), North West Province, South Africa. Its main purpose is for irrigation use and it is owned by the Department of Water Affairs.
The Crocodile River, also referred to as Crocodile River (East), is a large river traversing Mpumalanga province of South Africa.
Olifantsnek Dam, is an arch type dam located on the Hex River, near Rustenburg, North West, South Africa. It was established in 1929. The dam has a capacity of 14,200,000 cubic metres (500,000,000 cu ft) and a surface area of 272 hectares, the wall is 30 metres (98 ft), and has a length of 129 metres (423 ft). The dam serves mainly for irrigation purposes and its hazard potential has been ranked high (3).
Roodekoppies Dam is a concrete gravity type dam located on the Crocodile River near Brits, North West, South Africa. It was established in 1986 and serves mainly for irrigation purposes and domestic and industrial use. The hazard potential of the dam has been ranked high (3).
The Marico River or Madikwe is a river in Southern Africa. There are a number of dams in its basin. Groot Marico town is named after the Marico River. After it is joined on its right bank by the Crocodile River it is known as the Limpopo River.
The Rietvlei River is a small river in central Gauteng Province, South Africa. It feeds the wetlands of the Rietvlei Nature Reserve, before it flows into Rietvlei Dam, which is one of the main sources of water for Pretoria. The river downstream of the dam is known as Sesmylspruit, which is a tributary of the Hennops River and part of the Crocodile River (Limpopo) basin.
The Vaalkop Dam is a combined gravity and earth-fill type dam located in North West Province, South Africa. Its reservoir is located at the confluence of the Elands River and the Hex River, part of the Crocodile basin. The dam was established originally in 1972 and was renovated in 2008 in order to supply water for the platinum and associated metals mining operations in the area. The dam mainly serves for irrigation purposes, municipal water supply and industrial uses. The hazard potential of the dam has been ranked high.
