Environmental Impact Assessment for Raising of the Masinga Dam

Actual Description of Services

EMC carried out environmental assessment for the raising of the full supply level. The Masinga Dam is at the head of a cascade of four dams. Other than being for hydroelectricity generation, the dam serves as a water storage facility for the other dams downstream. It was expected that storage capacity would be increased from 1566million cubic meters (at 1.5m increase) or 1805million cubic meters (at 2m increase). 

The project entailed raising the full supply level (FSL) of Masinga Reservoir by between 1.5m and 2m and increasing spillway capacity. Construction activities were to take place over a period of 2.5 years and involving up to 250 workers. The expansion of the dam would however occur on within its prescribed boundaries. However, levels of erosion around the dam were still to be established so as to determine if there would be any encroachment of private land.