[Event] Bwell Around the Pot, presented by SEESA

[DieselnDust]

Current Dam Water Levels - 22/7/2024

Major dams	Storage
	Ml	%
	Capacity when full	22/7/2024
Berg River	130 010	101.2
Steenbras Lower	33 517	104.6
Steenbras Upper	31 767	100.3
Theewaterskloof	480 188	103.9
Voëlvlei	164 095	82.8
Wemmershoek	58 644	100.3
Total Stored Ml	898221	891 730
% Storage		99.3

Because each dam size is different, the best indicator of overall dam water levels is the total quantity stored expressed as a percentage of total dam capacity. This statistic is shown in the bottom line of the table.

 

 

Seems like its overflowing to me. This was data as per 22 July 2024

[JohanDiv]

14 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

Current Dam Water Levels - 22/7/2024

Major dams	Storage
	Ml	%
	Capacity when full	22/7/2024
Berg River	130 010	101.2
Steenbras Lower	33 517	104.6
Steenbras Upper	31 767	100.3
Theewaterskloof	480 188	103.9
Voëlvlei	164 095	82.8
Wemmershoek	58 644	100.3
Total Stored Ml	898221	891 730
% Storage		99.3

Because each dam size is different, the best indicator of overall dam water levels is the total quantity stored expressed as a percentage of total dam capacity. This statistic is shown in the bottom line of the table.

 

 

Seems like its overflowing to me. This was data as per 22 July 2024

A friend sent me a video of the overflow he took this morning. It is overflowing, but trickling in comparison to last week.

[ChrisF]

16 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

Current Dam Water Levels - 22/7/2024

Major dams	Storage
	Ml	%
	Capacity when full	22/7/2024
Berg River	130 010	101.2
Steenbras Lower	33 517	104.6
Steenbras Upper	31 767	100.3
Theewaterskloof	480 188	103.9
Voëlvlei	164 095	82.8
Wemmershoek	58 644	100.3
Total Stored Ml	898221	891 730
% Storage		99.3

Because each dam size is different, the best indicator of overall dam water levels is the total quantity stored expressed as a percentage of total dam capacity. This statistic is shown in the bottom line of the table.

 

 

Seems like its overflowing to me. This was data as per 22 July 2024

 

VERY glad the organisers were pro-active.

 

Both in amending the routes to miss the very bad spots - as noted by a previous poster who lives in the area.  And in noting the potential issues with the pont.  SO much easier to plan route markers and staff allocation earlier.

 

The pont is very much like Augrabies.  It is impacted by weather a few hundred kilometers away.  And once the catchment dams are full the resultant high water flow levels are inevitable.

 

 

As a descendant from Swellendam I am VERY glad this event is going ahead !!  The economical spin offs for the town and wider area is very good.

[DieselnDust]

1 hour ago, ChrisF said:

 

VERY glad the organisers were pro-active.

 

Both in amending the routes to miss the very bad spots - as noted by a previous poster who lives in the area.  And in noting the potential issues with the pont.  SO much easier to plan route markers and staff allocation earlier.

 

The pont is very much like Augrabies.  It is impacted by weather a few hundred kilometers away.  And once the catchment dams are full the resultant high water flow levels are inevitable.

 

 

As a descendant from Swellendam I am VERY glad this event is going ahead !!  The economical spin offs for the town and wider area is very good.

We have more rain before Saturday in the overberg so the rivers will be flowing faster by Saturday 

Edited July 23 by DieselnDust

[Shebeen]

1 hour ago, DieselnDust said:

Current Dam Water Levels - 22/7/2024

Major dams	Storage
	Ml	%
	Capacity when full	22/7/2024
Berg River	130 010	101.2
Steenbras Lower	33 517	104.6
Steenbras Upper	31 767	100.3
Theewaterskloof	480 188	103.9
Voëlvlei	164 095	82.8
Wemmershoek	58 644	100.3
Total Stored Ml	898221	891 730
% Storage		99.3

Because each dam size is different, the best indicator of overall dam water levels is the total quantity stored expressed as a percentage of total dam capacity. This statistic is shown in the bottom line of the table.

 

 

Seems like its overflowing to me. This was data as per 22 July 2024

numbers. I like numbers.

We do this weird thing here, in that we can overfill out dams so they go way beyond their capacity, TWK for instance can hit about 106% before it's actually overflowing.

so ja, it's not actually sending the water to the breede in massive amounts, currently about 10% of flow at swellendam is from riviersondereind.

 

1 hour ago, JohanDiv said:

A friend sent me a video of the overflow he took this morning. It is overflowing, but trickling in comparison to last week.

my point exactly, nice to have visual evidence to confirm what the numbers are saying.

 

 

57 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

The pont is very much like Augrabies.  It is impacted by weather a few hundred kilometers away.  And once the catchment dams are full the resultant high water flow levels are inevitable.

I wouldn't really make that comparison. There are effectively zero dams on the breede, all the irrigation schemes are weirs and canals. The floods come and a 10days later it's back to normal, but heavy rainfall in the catchment and then a 2-3 days lag max. Got nothing to with dams.

 

[DieselnDust]

19 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

numbers. I like numbers.

We do this weird thing here, in that we can overfill out dams so they go way beyond their capacity, TWK for instance can hit about 106% before it's actually overflowing.

so ja, it's not actually sending the water to the breede in massive amounts, currently about 10% of flow at swellendam is from riviersondereind.

 

my point exactly, nice to have visual evidence to confirm what the numbers are saying.

 

 

I wouldn't really make that comparison. There are effectively zero dams on the breede, all the irrigation schemes are weirs and canals. The floods come and a 10days later it's back to normal, but heavy rainfall in the catchment and then a 2-3 days lag max. Got nothing to with dams.

 

TWK max rate can vary but ya 106% sounds about right to be within the factor of safety for the dam wall structure. Point is filling a dam is not like filling a bath. Inflow is continuous basis the degree of ground water saturation in the catchment including mountains and water table. These are currently high so any additional rainfall will go straight to the dam and that is currently at maximum capacity so sluice gates will be open delivering continuous flow to the downstream rivers. The challenge with the Pontoon is the speed of flow . Its doesn’t much additional cumecs to make it unsafe to operate. Generally Swellendam has very predicatable weather patterns and it appears the organisers are linking in with the necessary safety and environmental agencies re the risk of the pontoon over the coming weekend basis the predicted rain fall in the WC. 

[FarmerMTB]

Verskoon my taal, maar my Engels  is op die oomblik net so vrot as wat my fiksheid is.

Het vandag en afglope 3 dae groot dele van die 100miler se roete gery. Dit is soos roete op die oomblik lyk en kan baie verander indien ons reen kry en hy verander selfs agv daai manne wat in die geel lorries ry en so lekker op 'n graaf kan hang.

Soos iemand reeds gese het het ons aansienlik minder reen hier in Swellendam gekry as die res van die Kaap. En dan het ons hier waar julle gaan ry, nog minder reen as in die dorp, onder die berg gekry, maar aangesien dit 'n nat jaar was tot hede, loop die fonteine nog sterk: party in die pad en ander oor die pad. Huidiglik is die pad droog. Die hoof grondpaaie, Napkei, Malgas, Platrug en Ouplaas-pad is drooi sonder modder-gate. Dis die kleiner paadjies wat die groot grond-paaie verbind is wat nat kolle het (en seker modder gaan word as jy deel is van die laaste fietse wat daar deur-gaan) Dis nie die hele pad nie, maar die fonteine gaan nie teen die naweek ophou loop nie, en 'n padskraper gaan ook nie iets daar kan doen nie. Let wel, dis net kolle op die verbindings-paaie.

Soos ek gese het kan dinge vinnig verander, want hier loop reeds 'n padskraper en op 2 plekke het hulle die nat kontein-kol uitgegrawe om dit beter te maak.

Ek dink die nuwe roete gaan jul 'n ander deel van die ruggens was, of soos ek altyd se: Die gat-kant van die wereld

Geniet jul Race

[Shebeen]

1 hour ago, FarmerMTB said:

Verskoon my taal, maar my Engels  is op die oomblik net so vrot as wat my fiksheid is.

Het vandag en afglope 3 dae groot dele van die 100miler se roete gery. Dit is soos roete op die oomblik lyk en kan baie verander indien ons reen kry en hy verander selfs agv daai manne wat in die geel lorries ry en so lekker op 'n graaf kan hang.

Soos iemand reeds gese het het ons aansienlik minder reen hier in Swellendam gekry as die res van die Kaap. En dan het ons hier waar julle gaan ry, nog minder reen as in die dorp, onder die berg gekry, maar aangesien dit 'n nat jaar was tot hede, loop die fonteine nog sterk: party in die pad en ander oor die pad. Huidiglik is die pad droog. Die hoof grondpaaie, Napkei, Malgas, Platrug en Ouplaas-pad is drooi sonder modder-gate. Dis die kleiner paadjies wat die groot grond-paaie verbind is wat nat kolle het (en seker modder gaan word as jy deel is van die laaste fietse wat daar deur-gaan) Dis nie die hele pad nie, maar die fonteine gaan nie teen die naweek ophou loop nie, en 'n padskraper gaan ook nie iets daar kan doen nie. Let wel, dis net kolle op die verbindings-paaie.

Soos ek gese het kan dinge vinnig verander, want hier loop reeds 'n padskraper en op 2 plekke het hulle die nat kontein-kol uitgegrawe om dit beter te maak.

Ek dink die nuwe roete gaan jul 'n ander deel van die ruggens was, of soos ek altyd se: Die gat-kant van die wereld

Geniet jul Race

Lekker.dankie vir die foto

Met my beste mengels, die route is meestal goed maar klomp plekke met modder en water?

[FarmerMTB]

1 minute ago, Shebeen said:

Lekker.dankie vir die foto

Met my beste mengels, die route is meestal goed maar klomp plekke met modder en water?

Op die staduim 98% van die pad is droog. Die ander 2% is net nat, Tarentaal-(photo) baie water. Vryheid- water loop oor pad(Klein stroompie), Malanskraal- paar kolle in drif en waar oor werf gaan, Haarwegskloof-so 1km wat water in pad syfer. Tussen die nat-kolle trek die stof die stof.

Dus as jy voor ry gaan jy bietjie nat word, as jy agter ry gaan jy vuil word.  Die pad is 100% beter as 2022 se modder. 

[etienne_jordaan]

6 hours ago, JohanDiv said:

A friend sent me a video of the overflow he took this morning. It is overflowing, but trickling in comparison to last week.

I went over TWK dam/overflow this afternoon at about 17:00. It was not trickling. Proper overflowing.

[FarmerMTB]

Had this great idee of handing out free beer as the bikes pass our farm, but the problem is you pass me at 58km... Don't think anyone will want a beer at 10'Oclock in the morning with 11*C temperatures!!!

 

[Scary Rider]

47 minutes ago, FarmerMTB said:

Had this great idee of handing out free beer as the bikes pass our farm, but the problem is you pass me at 58km... Don't think anyone will want a beer at 10'Oclock in the morning with 11*C temperatures!!!

 

Uhm, obviously you don't understand mountainbikers that good...Any beer any time of day is the greatest gift in terms of performance enhancement😜

[DieselnDust]

56 minutes ago, FarmerMTB said:

Had this great idee of handing out free beer as the bikes pass our farm, but the problem is you pass me at 58km... Don't think anyone will want a beer at 10'Oclock in the morning with 11*C temperatures!!!

 

I know this guy......who won't say no!! LOL

[Jackb]

1 hour ago, FarmerMTB said:

Had this great idee of handing out free beer as the bikes pass our farm, but the problem is you pass me at 58km... Don't think anyone will want a beer at 10'Oclock in the morning with 11*C temperatures!!!

 

Lots of Beer makes you forget about the cold!

[mrcg]

Weather is looking ok in terms of rainfall, however currently the forecast is for strong gusty winds from about 11am. Which means either lekker tailwind or side-on / head-on.

Good luck riders

[Shebeen]

15 hours ago, FarmerMTB said:

Op die staduim 98% van die pad is droog.

 

AWESOME news, thanks for the input.

14 hours ago, FarmerMTB said:

Had this great idee of handing out free beer as the bikes pass our farm, but the problem is you pass me at 58km... Don't think anyone will want a beer at 10'Oclock in the morning with 11*C temperatures!!!

There was a renegade waterpoint at about 35km giving out witblitz shots in the rainy/muddy 2022 event. that lit the fire for sure!