Letsibogo Dam
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| Letsibogo Dam | |
|---|---|
  Location of Letsibogo Dam in Botswana | |
| Country | Botswana |
| Location | Urban water supply |
| Coordinates | 21°50′41″S 27°44′05″E / 21.844819°S 27.734608°E |
| Opening date | 2000 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Height | 28 metres (92 ft) |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | 100,000,000 cubic metres (3.5×109 cu ft) |
| Surface area | 18 square kilometres (6.9 sq mi) |
The Letsibogo Dam is a dam on the Motloutse River in Botswana, built to initially provide water to the industrial town of Selebi-Phikwe and surrounding areas, with the potential for use in irrigation.[1] The dam now supplies Gaborone, the capital of the country, via a 400 kilometres (250 mi) pipeline, as well as major villages along the pipeline route.[2]
The dam is located near the village of Mmadinare.[3] The climate is tropical and semi-arid, with 90% of rainfall during the period from November to March. Mean annual precipitation is about 450 millimetres (18 in) in the catchment area above the dam. It is very variable, with rainfall less than 40% of the average expected in one year in seven.[4] In August 2012 the dam was only one-third full, prompting concerns that there could soon be water shortages in the areas of Palapye, Mahalapye and Gaborone. Some blamed the problem in part to slow repair of leaking pipelines.[5]