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Tuesday, 23 June 2026
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Tuesday, 23 June 2026
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Namibian press · Place

Naute Dam

2024-02-212026-06-23
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In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

  1. June 2026

  2. The Namibian

    … Meanwhile, road 28 (the C12) near Naute Dam remains open, although the RA warns that severe washaways and slippery road conditions pose a risk to motorists. …

    Heavy rains force road closures in ǁKharas

  3. The Namibian

    … The hikers were stranded after heavy rains filled the Naute Dam beyond capacity, forcing NamWater to open the dam’s sluice gates, which caused dangerous, rapidly rising water levels downstream. …

    NWR rescuing 96 hikers from Fish River Canyon

  4. Informanté

    Staff Reporter THE Naute Dam’s water level has decreased since the Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater) opened the dam’s floodgates on Sunday, falling from 117.3% capacity at 10:00 on Sunday morning to 113.4% at 06:00 on Monday morning. …

    Caution advised as Naute and Neckartal dam water releases continue to raise Fish River levels

  5. Informanté

    … Katamila said nine hiking groups, comprising a total of 96 people, were affected by the rising water levels caused by recent rainfall, worsened by the opening of the Naute Dam sluice gates and the overflowing of the Neckartal Dam. …

    96 hikers trapped in Fish River Canyon as rescue operation underway

  6. Naute Dam overflows; NamWater begins controlled releases

    1. Informanté

      … Southern dams also recorded notable increases, with the most significant rise observed at Naute Dam, which stood at 108.9% of capacity on Monday, 15 June 2026, and increased to more than 116% over the course of the week. …

      South braces for more thunderstorms after rainy weekend

    2. Informanté

      … NWR explained that the closure is due to heavy rainfall recorded in the Naute Dam catchment area and the opening of the Naute Dam sluice gates, which may pose a risk to the safety of hikers. …

      Fish River Canyon hike closed due to heavy rainfall in the Naute Dam catchment area

    3. Informanté

      Staff Reporter NAMWATER has started controlled water releases from the Naute Dam after heavy rainfall in the Hardap and //Karas regions caused inflows to push the dam’s level above full capacity. …

      Naute Dam overflows, controlled releases begin
  7. May 2026

  8. The Namibian

    … The expedition was met with rain, muddy and slippery roads, and detours after the Naute Dam reached full capacity and its sluices were opened, according to the Namibia Water Corporation. …

    4×4 enthusiasts tackle wet southern terrain

  9. The Namibian

    … The announcement says the recent rainfall in the catchment areas has demanded the opening of the Naute Dam sluices by the Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater), which is also increasing water levels. …

    NWR postpones Fish River hiking trips due to rising water levels
  10. April 2026

  11. Informanté

    Staff Reporter TWO sluice gates at the Naute Dam were opened this morning, 29 April 2026, after the dam reached a capacity of 92.313 million cubic meters (Mm³), which is 110.4% of its full capacity. …

    Floodgates opened at Naute Dam
Tourism & Environment

Heavy rains force road closures in ǁKharas region

The News

Heavy rainfall in the ǁKharas region has forced the temporary closure of road 212 (the C13) between Aussenkehr and Rosh Pinah due to flood-related damage; the Roads Authority is monitoring affected areas and advising motorists to use alternative routes and exercise caution.

Why it matters

Heavy rains force road closures in ǁKharas, compounding the southern region's flood hazards and affecting transport and commerce.

5 hours ago · The Namibian →

Yesterday

  1. Heavy rains force road closures in ǁKharas region

    Heavy rainfall in the ǁKharas region has forced the temporary closure of road 212 (the C13) between Aussenkehr and Rosh Pinah due to flood-related damage; the Roads Authority is monitoring affected areas and advising motorists to use alternative routes and exercise caution.

    5 hours ago · The Namibian →

  2. NWR rescuing 96 hikers trapped in Fish River Canyon

    Namibia Wildlife Resorts is rescuing 96 hikers from nine groups stranded in Fish River Canyon since Sunday after heavy rains caused the Naute Dam to exceed capacity, forcing NamWater to open sluice gates that sent dangerous, rapidly rising water downstream. The Fish River hiking trail has been temporarily closed until conditions are declared safe.

    9 hours ago · The Namibian →

  3. Naute and Neckartal dam releases raise Fish River flood risk

    Namibia Water Corporation opened the Naute Dam's floodgates on Sunday as water levels exceeded capacity, with releases from both Naute and Neckartal dams flowing into the rapidly-rising Fish River. NamWater has warned residents, tourists, and farmers to stay out of the Fish River and canyon areas due to high water volumes and strong flows.

    10 hours ago · Informanté →

  4. 96 hikers trapped in Fish River Canyon during flood

    Ninety-six hikers, including school children, are trapped in Fish River Canyon after heavy rainfall and dam releases caused water levels to rise. Police and Namibia Wildlife Resorts have launched a rescue operation involving ground teams and a helicopter.

    12 hours ago · Informanté →

  5. Southern Namibia records heavy rainfall, dams overflow

    The south experienced sustained heavy rainfall over the weekend, with several areas in Hardap and //Kharas regions receiving significant amounts, including Bethanie which recorded more than 40 mm. Dam levels rose notably, with Naute Dam reaching over 117% capacity, prompting NamWater to open a sluice gate.

    21 hours ago · Informanté →

Sunday 21 June

  1. Fish River Canyon hike closed due to heavy rainfall and dam overflow

    Namibia Wildlife Resorts has temporarily closed the Fish River Canyon Hike following heavy rainfall in the Naute Dam catchment area and the opening of sluice gates, which pose a safety risk. The Naute Dam reached 117.3% capacity and released water at about 780 m³/s into the Fish River, while the Neckartal Dam also overflowed at 105.7% capacity with a spilling rate of 870 m³/s.

    21 June 2026 · Informanté →

  2. Naute Dam overflows; NamWater begins controlled releases

    Heavy rainfall in the Hardap and //Karas regions has caused the Naute Dam to exceed full capacity at 116.9%. NamWater has started controlled water releases to maintain safe operating levels and advised downstream communities to exercise caution.

    21 June 2026 · Informanté →

Wednesday 6 May

  1. Around 30 4×4 enthusiasts gather for annual southern Namibia festival

    About 30 4×4 enthusiasts participated in the annual Outdoor 4×4 Festival hosted by Land Rover Owners Namibia at Canyon Roadhouse near Fish River Canyon over the long weekend, encountering challenging wet and muddy conditions after Naute Dam sluices opened and closed nearby roads.

    6 May 2026 · The Namibian →

Saturday 2 May

  1. NWR postpones Fish River hiking trips to second week of May

    Namibia Wildlife Resorts has postponed all Fish River Canyon hiking activities scheduled to commence on 1 May to the second week of May due to significantly increased water levels and strong river flows caused by recent rainfall. The Naute Dam sluices were opened by NamWater after the dam level exceeded 111% capacity.

    2 May 2026 · The Namibian →

Wednesday 29 April

  1. Naute Dam opens sluice gates at 110.4% capacity

    Two sluice gates at Naute Dam were opened on 29 April 2026 after the dam reached 92.313 million cubic meters of water, or 110.4% of full capacity. Water is being released at 298 cubic meters per second until the dam drops to 105% capacity, and downstream communities are urged to remain vigilant.

    29 April 2026 · Informanté →

Tuesday 14 April

  1. Southern Namibia dams rise to 90% capacity after rainfall

    Recent rainfall in catchment areas has boosted southern Namibian dams to a combined 90.8% storage capacity, up from 88.7% the previous week, with Hardap Dam receiving the largest inflow of 13.7 million cubic metres. However, dams supplying Windhoek remain significantly depleted at 58.2% capacity, down sharply from 88.4% a year ago.

    14 April 2026 · The Namibian →

Thursday 26 February

  1. Namibia's major dams record dramatic water level gains

    Namibia's key dams have surged dramatically over the past year, with the Tilda Viljoen Dam rising from empty to over 50% capacity and other major dams more than doubling their storage levels, according to the Hydrological Services of Namibia.

    26 February 2026 · Informanté →

Tuesday 6 January

  1. Rainfall lifts river flows and national dam levels above 80%

    Namibia recorded widespread rainfall over recent days, with moderate falls across north-central and north-eastern regions and lighter showers in the south, boosting river flows and maintaining national dam storage at 80.1% as of 5 January. However, authorities note a storage deficit of 28.7% compared to the same period last year, with dam levels ranging from highs of 97.7% at Neckartal Dam to lows below 5% at Bondels and Tjivero Silt dams.

    6 January 2026 · Informanté →

Naute Dam — Namibian press coverage · Namibia Minute