The current area under irrigation in the basin in South Africa at 198 000 ha, uses approximately 10 000 m³ of water per hectare per year (FAO 2004). The irrigation potential, estimated at 131 500 ha using 12 000 m³ of water required per hectare per year, indicates trends of more water being used per hectare than existing requirements.
Irrigation development along the Limpopo within South Africa is estimated at 4 000 ha. Within the four water management areas (WMA) in the Limpopo basin in South Africa, irrigation accounts for the following water requirements within each WMA (FAO 2004):
Crocodile (West) and Marico – 35 %
Limpopo – 75 %
Elephants – 57 %
Luvuvhu and Letaba – 75 %
In the Limpopo WMA irrigation occurs throughout and development is evenly distributed. Some of the irrigation is dependent upon small dams or run-of-river which has a low assurance of supply (FAO 2004). Therefore, the irrigated area tends to vary in the Limpopo WMA year by year. In the Levuvuhu & Letaba WMA irrigation is concentrated primarily in the area around the Groot Letaba River
The dams in South Africa used primarily for irrigation are (FAO 2004):
Hartebeespoort (186 Mm³) on the Crocodile River
Marico (27 Mm³) on the Marico River
Mokolo (145 Mm³) on the Mokolo River
Blyderivierpoort (55,2 Mm³) on the Mogalakwena River
Glen Alpine (20,0 Mm³) and others on the Mogalakwena River
Nzhelele (55,3 Mm³) on the Nzhelele River.
These dams are further discussed in Dams and Infrastructure and the interactive component to the right.
SEKO CANAL, OLIFANTS SUB-BASIN, SOUTH AFRICA. SOURCE: LIMCOM 2009
