Metolong Dam in Lesotho (2016)
The Metolong dam water supply programme forms part of the Lesotho Lowlands water project, aimed at improving water supply for domestic water consumption and for local industry, which was hampered by an acute water shortage in the Mountain Kingdom.
According to the World Bank, the new dam supplies water to two-thirds of Lesotho’s two-million population. The 83 m high dam in Lesotho was completed in 2016.
The Metolong Dam is situated 30 km east of Maseru and features a 280 m long crest, with a 75 m spillway. It is a roller-compacted concrete gravity dam.
The spillway design of the dam was optimized by Prof Gerrit Basson and he also investigated the future reservoir sedimentation of the reservoir.