Update and leisure time at Hazelmere Dam

The Hazelmere Dam level is at 43.07 per cent today (Tuesday, July 19), a slight decrease from 43.97 per cent measured on Tuesday, July 12.

A year ago when water and sanitation minister, Nomvula Mokonyane visited a 26 per cent full Hazelmere Dam, it seemed the dam was doomed to fail before the end of the year.

Certain sections of the dam were dry enough to walk across on foot and resembled a parched dessert landscape with cracked earth and dead trees.

Exactly a year later, thanks to little bits of rain when all seemed to be lost and water authorities’ drought mitigation efforts, the dam is at a much healthier 43 per cent and some sections that were bone dry in July last year, now have enough water for fishing.

The emergency pipeline is still transferring about eight million litres per day across from the Tongaat River into the dam and water restrictions adhered to by consumers have contributed to the survival of the region’s only dam.

Hazelmere Dam duty officer, Sarah Zuma said although the dam is now a little deeper, it is still too low to launch boats and the fisherman who tried to launch a boat on the weekend got stuck in the mud.

“Only once the dam has reached 60 per cent will people be able to launch again,” said Zuma.

She said people still came to fish from the banks, have picnics, camp or stay in the chalets.

“Because of the drought we are charging only 50 per cent of the normal entrance fee,” said Zuma.

When The North Coast Courier visited the dam on Friday, July 8 there were two guys fishing with kick boats (small inflatable one-man boats that can be launched without a trailer) and the grounds were well maintained.

Although the dam level is around 20 per cent higher than it was twelve months ago, the drought is by no means over and water restrictions still apply at least until the dam reaches 60 per cent.

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