Gamtoos Water

Gamtoos Water We are a water user association based in the Gamtoos River Valley in the Eastern Cape.

NEW HOLLAND is a prominent business in the Gamtoos valley. Louwrens en Christine went above and beyond to secure a TLB,...
09/06/2026

NEW HOLLAND is a prominent business in the Gamtoos valley. Louwrens en Christine went above and beyond to secure a TLB, tractor and tip wagon to assist with much needed work. 600 hours are available for this purpose.

Thank you to Wim (National Sales Manager of New Holland) and Quintice (Area Manager in the Cape province) who were part of this team effort. (Wim is in the insert).

I will share photo's of the machinery tomorrow.

Take note that the water level at the Groot river weir is increasing. This indicates that the water from Beervlei dam has arrived.

The following readings:
Kouga dam 102.77%, 113 cumec
Loerie dam 102.27%, 8 cumec
Stuurmanskraal 41 cumec
Grootrivier poort 92 cumec
Beervlei dam 107 cumec

Monday. After a flood. If you need to be some where, you need to be some where, at all cost.Maandag. Na 'n vloed. As...
08/06/2026

Monday. After a flood. If you need to be some where, you need to be some where, at all cost.

Maandag. Na 'n vloed. As jy op 'n plek moet kom, doen jy dit op enige manier.

Thank you, John Lubbe for the photo.

Kouga dam 103%, 145 cumec
Loerie dam 102%, 11 cumec
Stuurmanskraal 65 cumec
Groot rivier weir 77 cumec
Beervlei dam 121 cumec

This photo of the Groot River weir was taken by Edwill Moore on Thursday morning (4 June 2026). Groot river was running...
06/06/2026

This photo of the Groot River weir was taken by Edwill Moore on Thursday morning (4 June 2026).

Groot river was running at 567 000 at that time, nearly as high as the level it peaked on Friday night. Kindly have a look at the paint mark. It indicates the difference in the magnitude of the 7 May's flood and the water recorded during this week.

The following is important:
Kouga peaked at 108.63% (660 cumec) this week (126.57%, 3668 cumec during the 7th of May flood), 3000 cumec more.
Groot River peaked at 613 cumec (on the 7th of May it peaked much higher, we actually do not know what the volume is that passed over the weir as it is not modelled.

The following rainfall figures is of significance this week:
Krakeel hoek 243mm,
Krakeel 75mm
Tamie 99mm
Joubertina 73mm
Baviaanskloof 80mm
Suurveld 108mm
Kouga 98mm
Patensie 96mm
Hankey-Kleinrivier area up to 152mm
Kabeljous up to 154mm
Loerie 125mm
Jeffreys 98mm

Be safe, be warm.

05/06/2026

UPDATE ON THE WATER SITUATION IN THE GAMTOOS AND THE CATCHMENT
GAMTOOS WATER
5 June 2026
18h00

The following readings was recorded this afternoon at 16h30.

Kouga dam 537 cumec (537 000 litres per second) less than this morning (693 @ 8h00)
Stuurmanskraal 179 cumec (179 000 litres per second) less than this morning (233 @ 8h00)
Groot rivier weir 574 cumec (574 000 litre per second) more than this morning (495 @ 8h00)
Loerie dam 19 cumec (19 000 litre per second) less than this morning (39 @ 8h00)

It has been reported that the river has decreased slightly at the Andrieskraal bridge.

05/06/2026

UPDATE IN TERMS OF WATER LEVELS IN THE GAMTOOS AND CATCHMENT FROM GAMTOOS WATER
5 June 2026
8h00

It appears as though the system has stabalized since 2h00 this morning. There has been a slight increase of some water levels, but also some of the levels have started to decrease.

Kouga dam 108%, 693 cumec (693 000 litre per second)
Stuurmanskraal is running at 233 cumec (233 000 litre per second)
Grootrivier is running at 495 cumec 495 000 litre per second. (Less than yesterday morning)
Loerie dam 106%, 39 cumec (3900 litre per second)

Groot rivier is still an unknown. What is important is that water levels are not rising in the Karoo and we will keep on monitoring the Groot rivier weir.

04/06/2026

WATER SITUATION IN THE GAMTOOS VALLEY AND CATCHMENT:
GAMTOOS WATER
4 JUNE 2026 AT 16H00

THE SITUATION IS AS FOLLOWS:
* All Beervlei's sluices are closed. Beervlei is spilling. It is a floodcontrol dam.
* Water running from the catchment is less than expected
* Rain has decreased significantly in the catchment
* Stuurmanskraal weir 145 cumec (89 this morning)
* Kouga is spilling at 452 cumec (107%) (265 this morning)
* Groot river is running at 522 cumec (435 this morning)
* Loerie river spilling at 164 cumec (58 this morning)
* The system is filling slowly at this moment in time.
* The volume is increasing.
* Groot river is the unknown. We can only read what is comming into the system at the Condomo weir. We understand that there is lots of water in the river. The direct effect on the Gamtoos system, by when, is unknown.

WHAT IS THE CONCLUSION?
The situation is different than 7 May.
The system filled up much more aggressively. It is our opinion that there was in the region of 6000 cumec in the system in an very short time.

Groot river is however an unknow and residents who reside in low lying areas should be vigilant.

Take note of the requests of local authorities.

REPORTS ON THE WATER SITUATION IN THE GAMTOOS VALLEY AND CATCHMENT:GAMTOOS WATER4 JUNE 2026 AT 8H40Vuyani Dlomo, Gamtoos...
04/06/2026

REPORTS ON THE WATER SITUATION IN THE GAMTOOS VALLEY AND CATCHMENT:
GAMTOOS WATER
4 JUNE 2026 AT 8H40

Vuyani Dlomo, Gamtoos Water's dam operator took this photo of Kouga dam at 7h20 this morning.

We are still dependent on manual readings as the power has not yet been restored, and cannot at this moment, to Kouga dam. Vuyani and Brandon is climbing the 300 + stairs every hour to take a reading.

Kouga dam 104.03% (202 000 litres per second)
Loerie dam 108.51% (58 000 litres per second)
Groot rivier is running at 567 000 litre per second.

Groot rivier is currently the main contributor to the volume in the system. The nearby "kloofies" will also have a contribution.

We expect Kouga dam's volume to increase.
The intensity of rain in the catchment was less than expected. (Thank you to Riaan Strydom and other residents in the catchment who keeps up to date on the Langkloof situation.)

A report will go out this afternoon again.

03/06/2026

Report on water levels in the KOUGA, BAVIAANS CATCHMENT AND THE GAMTOOS VALLEY:
ISSUED BY GAMTOOS WATER
3 JUNE 2026 AT 16H30

CONFIRMED RAINFALL FIGURES FOR THE DAY BY RESIDENTS:
Krakeel hoek: 55mm
Krakeel: 30mm
Joubertina: 25mm
Suurveld: 35mm
Baviaanskloof: 38mm
Kleinrivier: 80mm

Stuurmanskraal is running at 13.2 cumec (13 200 litre per second).

WATER LEVELS AS AT 16H30:
Kouga dam 101.29%, 35 cumec (35 000 litre per second).
Loerie dam 105.81%, 33 cumec (33 000 litre per second).
Groot rivier is running at 4 cumec (4 000 litre per second).

Kouga is running at 10 cumec more than this morning.
Stuurmanskraal can be read again. (Thank you DWS!!!!! Edwill from Gamtoos Water and Matt from Living Lands. You are proof that South Africans are survivors!!!!!)

The following rain is expected according to YR:
Krakeel untill 24h00 29mm
tomorrow 72.6mm
Joubertina untill 24h00 29.6mm
tomorrow 69.5mm
Patensie untill 24h00 50mm
tomorrow 47.4mm

According to the catchment residents, continious, light rain is falling.
It is important to remember that the catchment is saturated which will lead to a quicker runoff.

No concern for excessive flooding at this moment. Water levels are however rising as expected.

03/06/2026

WEER WAARSKUWING UITGEREIK DEUR GAMTOOS WATER:
3 June 2026 at 8h15
Soos wyd bekend, is die risiko van verhoogde watervlakke as gevolg van 'n ontwrigtende reën in die Kouga, Koukamma en Gamtoos areas 'n sekerheid agv 'n vol sisteem.
* Vermy die rivier
* Vermy laagwater bruggies
* Hou waarskuwings dop deur kredietwaardige platforms, soos die Suid Afrikaanse Weerdiens, munisipaliteite en Gamtoos Water.
* Wees Versigtig vir "fake" nuus.

WEATHER WARNING BY GAMTOOS WATER:
3 June 2026 at 8h15
It is understood that there is a risk of increasing water levels due to disruptive rain in the Kouga, Koukamma and the Gamtoos areas due to the full capacity of the water system.
* Do not go near the river
* Do not attempt to cross low level bridges
* Read warning messages going out by the South African Weather Service, local authorities and Gamtoos Water.
* Be careful of fake news.

02/06/2026

INFORMATION IN TERMS OF THE EXPECTED RAIN FOR THE WEEK AS WELL AS WATER LEVELS.

You will be aware that a considerable amount of rain was predicted for the catchment for the coming week.

The logger at Stuurmanskraal is not working. The Department is trying their utmost best to sort the situation out. The reality is that the instruments need to be replaced and that there is some uncertainty in terms of the functionality of the entire structure.

IN ESSENCE THIS MEANS THAT WATER LEVELS CAN ONLY BE READ AT THE DAM WALL TO ENABLE US TO REPORT WATER LEVELS.

These readings will enable us to have an understanding of what will happen down stream in the system.
When water levels start to increase, it will be reported on the water groups on an hourly basis.

It is complicated to predict the exact volume and effect of the water level. Everything depends on the quantity and where it rained in the catchment.

The sluice gates at Beervlei dam have been closed. One of them has been opened yesterday. It will have an influence on water levels in the Groot rivier. The volume is however low: 6.5 cumec. (This is equal to the volume of the Main canal flowing at maximum capacity.) The volume should be depleted by the time it reaches Condomo.

Address

Fred Ferreira Road
Patensie
6335

Opening Hours

Monday 07:15 - 16:00
Tuesday 07:15 - 16:00
Wednesday 07:15 - 16:00
Thursday 07:15 - 16:00
Friday 07:15 - 15:00

Telephone

0422830329

Website

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