Omatako Dam

Omatako Dam
Location of Omatako Dam in Namibia
Official name Omatako Dam
Country Namibia
Location 100 km (62 mi) north of Okahandja, Otjozondjupa Region
Coordinates 21°8′53.87″S 17°10′40.57″E / 21.1482972°S 17.1779361°E / -21.1482972; 17.1779361Coordinates: 21°8′53.87″S 17°10′40.57″E / 21.1482972°S 17.1779361°E / -21.1482972; 17.1779361
Construction began 1978
Opening date 1981
Dam and spillways
Type of dam Earth fill embankment
Impounds Omatako River
Height 16 m (52 ft)
Length 3,460 m (11,350 ft)
Width (crest) 5 m (16 ft)
Spillway type Side chute
Spillway capacity 2,000 cubic metres per second (71,000 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Total capacity 43.49 million cubic metres (56,880,000 cu yd)
Surface area 11.12 km2 (1,112 ha)

Omatako Dam is an earth-fill embankment dam about 100 kilometres (62 mi) north of Okahandja in the Otjozondjupa Region of Namibia. It is named after the Omatako Mountains, and it dams the ephemeral Omatako River, with Omatako meaning "butt" in Oshiwambo, the name referring to the shape of the Omatako Mountains.[1] The dam has a capacity of 43.49 million cubic metres (56,880,000 cu yd).[2]

Completed in 1981, it was originally envisaged to become part of the Eastern National Water Carrier, a scheme to supply water to Namibia's capital Windhoek from the Okavango River, 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) to the north on the Angolan border.[3] The scheme was never completed. Omatako Dam today only contains floods and supplies water to the Von Bach Dam.[2][4] As such, it is one of three dams supplying the capital Windhoek with water.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Omatako Dam at NamWater.com.na
  2. 1 2 Menges, Werner; Haidula, Tuyeimo (5 March 2015). "Water worries for Windhoek". The Namibian. p. 1.
  3. ↑ "Eastern National Water Carrier. Omatako Dam – S Van Bach Dam Component" (PDF). NamWater. 4 May 1984. p. 3.
  4. ↑ "The Omatako Dam – Sartorius Von Bach Dam Components of The Eastern National Water Carrier" (PDF). Nam Water. May 1984. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  5. ↑ Cloete, Luqman (21 February 2017). "NamWater opens Hardap Dam sluices". The Namibian. p. 1.


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