De Hoop Dam (Limpopo)

The De Hoop Dam (formal name to be established through public participation) is a gravity dam on the Steelpoort River, near Burgersfort, Limpopo, South Africa. Its purpose is to enable the extraction of rich mineral deposits in the eastern Limpopo province, and to supply water to towns, industries and communities in the Sekhukhune district, where service delivery was of a poor standard.[1]

De Hoop Dam
View on a small section of the reservoir
Location	Limpopo, South Africa
Coordinates	24°57′27″S 29°57′23″E
Opening date	2014
Operator(s)	Department of Water Affairs
Dam and spillways
Impounds	Steelpoort River
Height	81 m (266 ft)
Length	1,000 m (3,300 ft)
Reservoir
Total capacity	347,600,000 m3 (281,800 acre⋅ft)
Surface area	1,690 ha (4,200 acres)

The completion of the dam was delayed by four years (2010 to 2014) due to supply chain problems, technical and equipment problems, deficient environmental impact studies, resettlement of families in the area, and labour strikes.[1]

The flagship dam in the Olifants system, South Africa's largest dam since the 1970s, was developed by the Department of Water Affairs. The project of R3,4 billion involved innovative solutions in energy dissipation and the use of roller-compacted concrete, for which the department received a Fulton award.[1][2]

It was the second phase of the Olifants River Water Resources Development Programme (ORWRDP), the only viable solution for water delivery to the Nebo plateau, where some 800,000 people are resident. The first phase, completed in 2006, included capacity improvements to the Flag Boshielo Dam.[1][3]