Taung Dam | |
---|---|
Official name | Taung Dam |
Location | North West, South Africa |
Coordinates | 27°31′30″S24°51′54″E / 27.52500°S 24.86500°E Coordinates: 27°31′30″S24°51′54″E / 27.52500°S 24.86500°E |
Opening date | 1993 |
Operator(s) | Department of Water Affairs and Forestry |
Dam and spillways | |
Type of dam | gravity |
Impounds | Harts River |
Height | 42 metres (138 ft) |
Length | 255 metres (837 ft) |
Reservoir | |
Creates | Taung Dam Reservoir |
Total capacity | 58,900,000 cubic metres (2.08×109 cu ft) |
Surface area | 465 hectares (1,150 acres) |
Taung Dam is a gravity type dam located on the Harts River near Taung, North West, South Africa. It was established in 1993 and serves mainly for irrigation purposes. Its hazard potential has been ranked high (3).
The Harts River is a northern tributary of the Vaal River, which in turn is the largest tributary of the Orange River. Its source is in the North West Province, but the greater part of its basin is located in the Northern Cape Province, which it enters a few kilometers downstream from the Taung Dam.
Taung is a small town situated in the North West Province of South Africa. The name means place of the lion and was named after Tau, the chief of the Tswana speaking Legoya or BaTaung tribe. Tau is the Tswana word for lion.
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