The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure Senior Reporter —
THOUGH the current rains have boosted the country’s dam levels – with most in the Save Catchment recording noteworthy inflows – the same cannot be said of Manicaland’s biggest reservoir Osborne which is a miserly 34 percent full.
The rains, this season have drastically improved and this has seen most dams in the Save Catchment recording significant inflows, but the water levels at Osborne Dam remain worrisomely low.
Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) acting corporate communications and marketing manager, Mr Tsungirirai Shoriwa, said some major dams countrywide were full.
Mr Shoriwa said the national dam level average now stands at 58,4 percent, up from 50,4 percent on January 13.
“This represents an almost 20 percent rise in the national average since the beginning of the rainy season. When the rainy season started, the national average was 39,1 percent,” said Mr Shoriwa.
Osborne is reeling under last year’s mechanical faults when much of its water was lost through leakages.
Its hydraulic gate valve system required overhauling following the jamming of some outlet valves while releasing water.
Water from the dam is periodically released for the benefit of downstream commercial farming activities, with major beneficiaries being sugarcane estates in the Lowveld.
Statistics released by Mr Shoriwa shows that Osborne is 33.9 percent full.
The dam has a full supply capacity of 401 620mgl.
Though its water levels remains low, the dams operate as a system, such that if the situation at Osborne Dam becomes unsustainable, water can be drawn from Siya Dam (Bikita), Ruti Dam (Buhera), Mpudzi Dam, Odzani Dam, Small Bridge Dam and Rusape Dam –which have gained significant inflows since this summer.
Rusape is at 92.5 percent. Its full supply capacity is 68 000mgl. Siya is still low at 28.6 percent, with a full supply capacity of 105, 455mgl.
Zinwa said Odzani and Small Bridge dams which supply water to City of Mutare had recorded significant inflows.
Odzani Dam has the full supply capacity of 6, 422mgl, Smallbridge Dam 14, 785mgl, Ruti Dam, which is the major source of water in the dry Buhera District, has a full capacity supply of 152 308mgl.
Wenimbi Dam in Mashonaland East is at 102 percent with a full supply capacity of 21, 932mgl, while Mpudzi Dam has a full supply capacity of 12, 146mgl.
The improvement in water levels may ameliorate progress at some irrigation schemes, whose prospects of the winter crop, were in danger as Zinwa had issued orders barring winter cropping to conserve the available supplies for environmental purposes.
Mr Shoriwa said: “Some of the major dams are now full, with Khami, Wenimbi, Insukamini, Tuli Makwe, Mundi-Mataga, Nyadire and Harava being some of the dams that are already full. Most of the places that were in danger after their water supply dams ran dry last year are now safe as the dams now have sufficient water to meet their needs. These include Mt Darwin, Kotwa, Mutawatawa and Mutoko.
“Mazowe Dam, which had not recorded any rise in its water level has finally recorded a 1,7 percent increase rising to 7,3 percent, while Mtirikwi Dam has also recorded an increase and is now 9,4 percent full.
Major rises have been recorded for dams such as Manjirenji which rose by 12 percent, Chivero 25,3 percent, Whitewaters 47,9 percent, Gwenoro 15,1 percent, Rusape 28,6 percent, and Bubi Lupane 30,7 percent since January 9, 2017.
State of major dams as at January 16, 2017
Dam Catchment Purpose %full
Chivero Manyame Irrigation, Water Supply 1,6
ManyameManyame Water Supply, Irrigation 90,1
Mazvikadei Manyame Irrigation , Mining 86,8
Harava Manyame Water Supply , Irrigation 100
Karoi Manyame Water Supply, Irrigation 60
Mazowe Mazowe Irrigation 7,3
Nyambuya Mazowe Irrigation , Water Supply 82,4
Rufaro Mazowe Irrigation, Water Supply, Industry 5,8
Kushinga-Phikhelela Mazowe Irrigation and Water Supply 101
Mundi-Mataga Mzingwane Irrigation 100,4
Mtshabezi Mzingwane Irrigation and Water Supply 51,9
Upper Ncema Mzingwane Water Supply 26,6
Zhovhe Mzingwane Irrigation 100,7
Lower Ncema Mzingwane Water Supply 18,6
Mzingwane Mzingwane Irrigation and Water Supply 25,4
Bangala Runde Irrigation 105,3
Manjirenji Runde Irrigation 22,7
Mutirikwi Runde Irrigation and Water Supply 9,4
Muzhwi Runde Irrigation and Mining 63,1
Gwenoro Runde Irrigation and Water Supply 61,1
Sebakwe Sanyati Water Supply and Irrigation 69,7
Whitewaters Sanyati Water Supply 83
Osborne Save Irrigation 33,9
Wenimbi Save Water Supply and Irrigation 102,6
Siya Save Irrigation 28,6
Rusape Save Water Supply and Irrigation 92,5
Bubi-Lupane Gwayi Water Supply and Irrigation 88,3
Insukamini Gwayi Irrigation and Water Supply 112, 1
Exchange Gwayi Irrigation and Water Supply 102,7
Khami Gwayi Irrigation 100