Vaal Dam
| Vaal Dam | |
|---|---|
| Official name | Vaal Dam |
| Country | South Africa |
| Location | Border Gauteng and Free State |
| Coordinates | 26°53′41″S 28°08′44″E / 26.89472°S 28.14555°E |
| Purpose | Domestic and industrial water |
| Opening date | 1938 |
| Owner(s) | Dept of Water Affairs |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Gravity dam |
| Impounds | Vaal River |
| Height | 54.2 m |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Vaal Dam |
| Total capacity | 2,609,799,000 cubic metres (9.21642×1010 cu ft) |
| Surface area | 320 square kilometres (120 sq mi) |
The Vaal Dam in South Africa was constructed in 1938 and lies 77 km south of OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg. The lake behind the dam wall has a surface area of about 320 square kilometres (120 sq mi) and is 47 meters deep. The Vaal Dam lies on the Vaal River, which is one of South Africa's strongest-flowing rivers. Other rivers flowing into the dam are the Wilge River, Molspruit and Grootspruit. It has over 800 kilometres (500 mi) of shoreline and is South Africa's second biggest dam by area and the fourth largest by volume.