Katse Dam

Katse Dam is a large concrete arch dam in Thaba-Tseka District, Lesotho, completed in 1996 as a major element of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.

The site includes the dam wall and the Katse Reservoir that fills steep valleys on the highland plateau; visitors typically view the structure from the crest and nearby lookout points. Facilities at the site include a small visitor information area and access roads that reach the reservoir margins.

The dam was constructed in the 1990s under the Lesotho Highlands Water Project to store water for transfer to South Africa and to regulate flows for downstream hydroelectric schemes. Construction altered local transport and settlement patterns and created the large highland reservoir that exists today.

The dam sits in the central highlands of Lesotho on the Malibamat’so valley, within steep, grassy mountains of the Thaba-Tseka area.

• Project: Forms part of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, transferring water to South Africa and contributing to hydropower generation elsewhere in the scheme.
• Visitor tips: There is a visitor viewpoint on the dam crest and a small information centre nearby; the reservoir sits in steep, highland valleys and is visible from several roadside lookouts.