The blue lake
Between mountains.
David Love — Public domain · Egbert — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Bruce Paulmac — CC BY-SA 3.0
Mohale Dam is a concrete-faced rock-fill dam on the Senqunyane River in the Lesotho highlands, about 100 km east of the capital, Maseru. It is the second dam of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, which sends water to South Africa and generates power. Tall grassy mountains surround its lake, and travellers pass it on the mountain road. The dam stands below the meeting of the Senqunyane and its western tributary, the Likalaneng, and cost about 1.5 billion dollars. In 2005 it won the Fulton Award from the Concrete Society of Southern Africa for best engineering project. It drains a catchment of about 938 square kilometres. You see a sloping rock wall with a broad grey face cut by a white spillway, and a blue lake stretching between the mountain valleys. Golden and green grass and winding roads cover the slopes. From high on the road the lake runs between the mountains to the horizon. It is about 62 km from Maseru in a straight line and about 46 km from Semonkong. The mountain road winds a lot, so drive with care. The highlands are cold and changeable, so bring warm clothes.
Between mountains.
A grey face.
Wide views.
Senqunyane River, east of Maseru, Lesotho
Sending water to South Africa and generating power, as part of the highlands project.
It is seen from the road, and tours may be arranged ahead.