The Barrage and Loch Vaal

The Barrage, created by a set of gates across the Vaal River, was built by Rand Water downstream of the Vaal Dam, in 1923. The reservoir is 64 kilometers long and has a total storage capacity of 63 million litres, a surface area of 168,35 square kilometres and has an average depth of 4,5 metres. The rivers, i.e. Suikerbosrant, Klip, & Rietspruit, that feed into the Vaal River Barrage Reservoir flow from industrial and heavily populated areas such as Johannesburg, Vereeniging and Sasolburg. This reservoir was used to supply water to the Witwatersrand but no longer does so because the quality of its water is deteriorating due to pollution. This reservoir, which is managed by Rand Water, is used for many recreational activities, such as boating, skiing, fishing, swimming and many holiday resorts have grown up on its banks.
Apologies for wind noise on some video clips.
Music track: Wild Life by Martin Hall (Epidemic Sound)

[@tonyelston959]

Hey Dirk. You right.... What a blessing...

[@brianwilson942]

Hi Dirk, I don't know how many times I have been across the old barrage road but will say many times. I grew up in Vereeniging and lived there with my family for 23 years, we used the road at the barrage to cross into the Free State (old national road) many years before the new bridge was built in order to picnic on the Vall at Parys or visit my uncle in Bloemfontein and also spent had many family holidays in the Cape, I attended a boarding school in Potchefstroom during my high school years and later went to visit a few girlfriends in the OFS, Karoo and East London, I also attended all the South African Grand Prix races in East London in the early 1960' Also used to attend the annual speed boat races at Loch Vaal. So Ja, one could say that I was pretty familiar with the area

[@johnwayneisthisme3475]

Baie daar ge jol in die vroeg 90s

[@durbancraig]

Nice drone work, it gives a good indication of the size of the river just before the barrage. I wonder if you had a nervous moment as you flew under the bridge. My heart stops on occasion.

[@DirkGroblerII]

Hi Craig, and thank you. I get nervous when the UAV is quite a distance away. It becomes difficult to judge 3D distance. Lately I make use of a "spotter" near the object to keep it safe.

[@Homoprimatesapiens]

Baie dankie Dirk. Alles helder en duidelik. Wat van 'n nuwe opname na die onlangse goeie reens ? Daar behoort nogal 'n verskil te wees.