South Africa’s most historically significant dam celebrates 100 years

Few people living in South Africa’s Gauteng, Free State and North West provinces have seen or appreciated the significance of the Vaal Barrage, constructed between 1916 and 1922, and opened to much fanfare on 27 July 1923.

Next time you take a drive along Boundary Road between Vanderbijlpark and Parys, stop on the bridge as you cross the Vaal River, and have a good look at this historic engineering marvel as it silently goes about its business, just as it has done for the last 100 years.

A vital water source

On completion, the dam wall created the Vaal Barrage Reservoir, which includes the expansive Loch Vaal and the 70km of river stretching upstream towards the Vaal Dam. It was built to supply potable water to the rapidly growing and very thirsty city of Johannesburg with its extensive gold mining industry. Upon the foundations of this industry, and the communities that formed around it at the turn of the twentieth century, South Africa was established as an economic powerhouse at the southern tip of Africa.

The water scheme that gave birth to the Vaal Barrage and its Reservoir was a proudly South African development. In many respects it brought about a tumultuous change in the environment along the Vaal River between the Barrage and Vereeniging in the first quarter of the twentieth century. Prof. Johan Tempelhoff writes: “Without this source the development of the Witwatersrand and the economic progress of South Africa would have taken longer to materialise. The growth of the Rand created a demand for industrial support in the form of water, coal and electricity. The Vaal River… played a crucial role in satisfying the need… for the future Vaal Triangle the river would become the silent hard-working witness to rapid industrialision.”

Without the Vaal Barrage, and the Vaal Barrage Reservoir’s supply of clean water to Johannesburg and surrounding areas at this critical time in South Africa’s development, the story of our country might have been very different.

From water supply to a leisure and tourism hotspot

On 27 July 2023, the Vaal Barrage has its official centenary celebrations. Today, the Barrage and the Reservoir that it creates no longer provide clean potable water to citizens and industry. This role has been taken over by the Vaal Dam and, amongst others, the remarkable Lesotho Highlands Water Project which feeds into it. However, the Barrage plays a vital role in maintaining ideal water levels on the upstream and downstream stretches of the Vaal River, especially during times of heavy rainfall, and more importantly, it creates a magnificent setting for a wide array of leisure and tourism activities, many of which have yet to be optimally exploited and enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.

Farsighted engineers

In his paper published in History, May 2001, Prof Johann Tempelhoff, Director of School of Basic Sciences in the Vaal Triangle Faculty of North West University writes: “In many respects the Vaal Barrage was part of a novel and pioneering endeavour of farsighted engineers who were cognisant of the leisure and aesthetic value significance of the (Vaal) river. It was one of the most ambitious water projects of its kind in South Africa at the start of the twentieth century.”

The project was based on the latest technological developments in engineering. Before plans were drawn up for the Barrage, members of the Rand Water Board visited large dam projects in Egypt and Europe to become acquainted with the latest engineering technology. Leading British engineering firms were contracted to supply the necessary mechanical equipment to be used for the Barrage.

A rich history

Between 1916 and 1923 the scheme employed about 402 mostly African workers, some of whose relatives still stay in the adjacent Barrage informal settlement. The work was delayed by various setbacks, including the First World War and the “Spanish Flu” of 1918, which incapacitated up to 98% of the workers led to the deaths of nearly 10% of the workforce.

The Vaal Barrage was finally completed in 1923. Spanning the Vaal River at Lindeques Falls over a distance of about 400 m. More than 275 000 m3 had been excavated in rock of which 43 000 m3 had been cast in concrete. By making use of the Duff Abrams method of steel-reinforced concrete the structure was strong and capable of withstanding all types of flooding conditions. It was constructed in a blend of art nouveau and classical styles. There were 36 sluice gates creating a storage capacity of nearly 70 000 million litres of water.

The Future

Many of today’s economic strategists still refer to the Vaal Triangle as “the sleeping giant”. They have long appreciated that the Vaal River is a vitally important natural endowment for the region, both for industrial and tourism purposes.

There are many plans afoot to uplift the area, some of which have previously been discussed in this publication. One of these endeavours focuses specifically on the Vaal Barrage and its surrounding communities and businesses, with a focus on uplifting the area by developing it as a prime tourism destination. In 2021, an entity known as the Barrage Community Development Forum (see www.bcdf.co.za) was established to drive this process. In a series of future articles, we will further explore the rich history of the Vaal Barrage, as well as the plans to develop the area as a tourism destination. Watch this space!

• Article written by Stephen Fourie for the BCDF

Sources –

Johann W.N. Tempelhoff, “Time and the river: observations on the Vaal River as source of water to the Witwatersrand 1903-24” Historia 46(1), May 2001, pp.247-70.

Lani Van Vuuren, “Vaal Barrage: Storing Water for a Thirsty City” The Water Wheel, January/February 2009.

Picture source – Various