Boating Tour At Katse Dam

Katse is second in size (in Africa) only to the Lake Volta Akosombo Dam in Ghana. The view of this massive dam from Mafika Lisiu Pass is magnificent and is often of great interest to visitors. The centerpiece of the whole project is the dam wall which is the highest in Africa. An area of the lake will be devoted to water sports.

On arrival, we take a scenic tour of the dam. The view of Katse Dam is incredible as the flooded valleys go on for 45 km. A guided tour of the dam, visiting the information office and the Katse Botanical Garden will be arranged. We will finish off our tour with an hour’s boat cruise to the dam wall. We will have lunch at a local restaurant.

The Katse Dam, a concrete arch dam on the Malibamat'so River in Lesotho, is Africa's second-largest double-curvature arch dam. (The Tekezé Dam, completed in early 2009, is now Africa's largest double curvature dam). The dam is part of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, which will eventually include five large dams in remote rural areas. The dam is just below the confluence of the Bokong River, which forms the western arm of the Katse reservoir.

The potential of the project was identified by the South African civil engineer Ninham Shand in 1953 as a possible means to supplement the water supply of South Africa's industrial heartland in the Witwatersrand. The World Bank arranged a treaty between the governments of South Africa and Lesotho, allowing the project to proceed.

Construction-

The dam was built by a consortium of Bouygues, Concor, Group 5, Hochtief, Impregilo, Kier Group, and Sterling International. The dam was completed in 1996 and the reservoir was filled with water by 1997. The total cost of the project was US$8 billion. Katse Airport was constructed 3 kilometers (2 mi) southeast of the dam to facilitate access to the project.

Environmental Impact

The mass of water gave rise to induced seismicity. Farmers who lost land to the project have had trouble re-establishing new livelihoods. There is little arable land in the mountains to replace all that was lost, and efforts to help them with new livelihoods have by no means been as successful as the engineering works. A local group has documented the project's human legacy in the rural communities directly affected by the project, and the environmental and human-rights NPO, International Rivers, produced a detailed account of the effects.

Satellite view of the reservoir

As mitigation of the loss of habitat, plant rescue missions were conducted in the area to be flooded, and Katse Botanical Gardens was established to house and propagate the plants rescued.

Highlights of the Tour:

Katse Dam Information Centre

Botanical Garden

Boating

Inclusive in the Tour:

Transport

Tour Guide

Lunch

Boating

Entrance Fees

Exclusive in the Tour:

Items of personal use

Hotel expenses

Breakfast & Dinner