Free tools · Measured from space
Surface water in Dr Beyers Naude
In 2025, Dr Beyers Naude had 57.4 km² of open water on average, 31.4 km² of it nearly all year. The wettest year since 1984 was 2012 (101 km²); the driest 1992 (36.0 km²).
Open water seen on the ground from space: dams, lakes, rivers wide enough to see, pans, wetlands with open water and flooded fields. Each year, the Landsat satellites look at every 30 m spot many times; where the sky is clear, each look says water or not. The average water area counts each spot for the share of its clear looks that were wet. Permanent water was wet in more than 80% of the clear looks; seasonal water was wet at least once but less often than that.
What it isn’t: not how full a dam is (that is the Department of Water and Sanitation’s weekly level, by volume), not groundwater, not rain, and not water in pipes or tanks. Narrow rivers, water under trees or bridges and anything smaller than about 30 m are missed. A year with few clear looks (cloud, or the early years when fewer satellites flew) is less sure, and 1988 is missing everywhere because Digital Earth Africa does not have it: a missing year is left out, never counted as dry.
2025
- 57.4 km²Water on average0.20% of the land; 100% of the 1991 to 2020 average (57.5 km²)
- 31.4 km²PermanentWater in more than 80% of the clear looks
- 502 km²SeasonalWet at least once, but not most of the year
- 82%Of the place seenThe share with at least one clear look
The wettest and driest years
- 2012Wettest, 101 km²541 km² wet at some point
- 1992Driest, 36.0 km²18.1 km² permanent
Among the 39 years in which at least 90% as much of the place was seen as in its best year (2 less well seen years are left out), so a cloudy year cannot pass for a dry one.
Every year since 1984
Show the numbers
| When or what | Figure |
|---|---|
| 1984 | 154 km² on average, 111 km² permanent |
| 1985 | none on average, none permanent |
| 1986 | 41.7 km² on average, 31.5 km² permanent |
| 1987 | 38.9 km² on average, 23.0 km² permanent |
| 1988 | not held |
| 1989 | 88.0 km² on average, 34.8 km² permanent |
| 1990 | 63.9 km² on average, 20.6 km² permanent |
| 1991 | 75.7 km² on average, 17.4 km² permanent |
| 1992 | 36.0 km² on average, 18.1 km² permanent |
| 1993 | 59.6 km² on average, 18.2 km² permanent |
| 1994 | 89.8 km² on average, 35.2 km² permanent |
| 1995 | 63.3 km² on average, 22.9 km² permanent |
| 1996 | 62.6 km² on average, 18.1 km² permanent |
| 1997 | 89.9 km² on average, 48.3 km² permanent |
| 1998 | 52.3 km² on average, 18.1 km² permanent |
| 1999 | 41.8 km² on average, 20.1 km² permanent |
| 2000 | 80.9 km² on average, 51.7 km² permanent |
| 2001 | 58.5 km² on average, 35.9 km² permanent |
| 2002 | 45.2 km² on average, 25.7 km² permanent |
| 2003 | 43.7 km² on average, 23.8 km² permanent |
| 2004 | 56.8 km² on average, 25.1 km² permanent |
| 2005 | 62.6 km² on average, 34.1 km² permanent |
| 2006 | 57.0 km² on average, 29.7 km² permanent |
| 2007 | 44.1 km² on average, 26.8 km² permanent |
| 2008 | 50.6 km² on average, 27.3 km² permanent |
| 2009 | 48.5 km² on average, 25.7 km² permanent |
| 2010 | 45.9 km² on average, 23.5 km² permanent |
| 2011 | 78.4 km² on average, 40.8 km² permanent |
| 2012 | 101 km² on average, 37.1 km² permanent |
| 2013 | 60.3 km² on average, 33.5 km² permanent |
| 2014 | 68.9 km² on average, 37.5 km² permanent |
| 2015 | 49.1 km² on average, 27.6 km² permanent |
| 2016 | 43.9 km² on average, 20.7 km² permanent |
| 2017 | 40.5 km² on average, 21.2 km² permanent |
| 2018 | 40.2 km² on average, 20.7 km² permanent |
| 2019 | 36.3 km² on average, 18.3 km² permanent |
| 2020 | 40.4 km² on average, 23.3 km² permanent |
| 2021 | 58.3 km² on average, 23.0 km² permanent |
| 2022 | 73.6 km² on average, 31.0 km² permanent |
| 2023 | 83.0 km² on average, 37.9 km² permanent |
| 2024 | 66.9 km² on average, 32.0 km² permanent |
| 2025 | 57.4 km² on average, 31.4 km² permanent |
| Year | Water on average | Permanent | Seasonal | Wet at some point | Seen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 57.4 km² | 31.4 km² | 502 km² | 533 km² | 82% |
| 2024 | 66.9 km² | 32.0 km² | 592 km² | 623 km² | 82% |
| 2023 | 83.0 km² | 37.9 km² | 1,154 km² | 1,191 km² | 82% |
| 2022 | 73.6 km² | 31.0 km² | 1,119 km² | 1,150 km² | 82% |
| 2021 | 58.3 km² | 23.0 km² | 909 km² | 932 km² | 82% |
| 2020 | 40.4 km² | 23.3 km² | 311 km² | 334 km² | 82% |
| 2019 | 36.3 km² | 18.3 km² | 414 km² | 432 km² | 82% |
| 2018 | 40.2 km² | 20.7 km² | 443 km² | 464 km² | 82% |
| 2017 | 40.5 km² | 21.2 km² | 475 km² | 496 km² | 82% |
| 2016 | 43.9 km² | 20.7 km² | 564 km² | 585 km² | 82% |
| 2015 | 49.1 km² | 27.6 km² | 345 km² | 372 km² | 82% |
| 2014 | 68.9 km² | 37.5 km² | 623 km² | 661 km² | 82% |
| 2013 | 60.3 km² | 33.5 km² | 482 km² | 516 km² | 82% |
| 2012 | 101 km² | 37.1 km² | 504 km² | 541 km² | 82% |
| 2011 | 78.4 km² | 40.8 km² | 242 km² | 283 km² | 82% |
| 2010 | 45.9 km² | 23.5 km² | 155 km² | 179 km² | 82% |
| 2009 | 48.5 km² | 25.7 km² | 193 km² | 218 km² | 82% |
| 2008 | 50.6 km² | 27.3 km² | 174 km² | 201 km² | 82% |
| 2007 | 44.1 km² | 26.8 km² | 173 km² | 200 km² | 82% |
| 2006 | 57.0 km² | 29.7 km² | 192 km² | 222 km² | 82% |
| 2005 | 62.6 km² | 34.1 km² | 216 km² | 250 km² | 82% |
| 2004 | 56.8 km² | 25.1 km² | 273 km² | 298 km² | 82% |
| 2003 | 43.7 km² | 23.8 km² | 146 km² | 170 km² | 82% |
| 2002 | 45.2 km² | 25.7 km² | 180 km² | 206 km² | 82% |
| 2001 | 58.5 km² | 35.9 km² | 153 km² | 188 km² | 82% |
| 2000 | 80.9 km² | 51.7 km² | 140 km² | 192 km² | 82% |
| 1999 | 41.8 km² | 20.1 km² | 133 km² | 153 km² | 82% |
| 1998 | 52.3 km² | 18.1 km² | 272 km² | 290 km² | 82% |
| 1997 | 89.9 km² | 48.3 km² | 222 km² | 270 km² | 82% |
| 1996 | 62.6 km² | 18.1 km² | 310 km² | 328 km² | 82% |
| 1995 | 63.3 km² | 22.9 km² | 316 km² | 339 km² | 82% |
| 1994 | 89.8 km² | 35.2 km² | 254 km² | 289 km² | 82% |
| 1993 | 59.6 km² | 18.2 km² | 408 km² | 426 km² | 82% |
| 1992 | 36.0 km² | 18.1 km² | 92.3 km² | 110 km² | 82% |
| 1991 | 75.7 km² | 17.4 km² | 516 km² | 534 km² | 82% |
| 1990 | 63.9 km² | 20.6 km² | 361 km² | 382 km² | 82% |
| 1989 | 88.0 km² | 34.8 km² | 427 km² | 462 km² | 82% |
| 1987 | 38.9 km² | 23.0 km² | 43.5 km² | 66.5 km² | 81% |
| 1986 | 41.7 km² | 31.5 km² | 22.3 km² | 53.8 km² | 82% |
| 1985 | none | none | none | none | 0% |
| 1984 | 154 km² | 111 km² | 87.4 km² | 198 km² | 60% |
A year missing from the table is one Digital Earth Africa does not have for this place (1988 everywhere, 1985 in some places).
Each ward
- Ward 1 (Xamdeboo, Lotusville)
- Ward 2 (Kwa Noheleni, Robert Sobukwe Town)
- Ward 3 (Asherville, Kroonvale)
- Ward 4 (Kroonvale, Bergendal)
- Ward 5 (Kroonvale, uMasizakhe)
- Ward 6 (uMasizakhe)
- Ward 7 (Asherville, Bishop Limba)
- Ward 8 (Rietbron, Willowmore)
- Ward 9 (Willowmore)
- Ward 10 (Klipplaat, Thembalesizwe)
- Ward 11 (Jansenville)
- Ward 12 (Steytlerville, Wolwefontein)
Places in each ward: © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Every municipality, ranked · Everything we hold for Dr Beyers Naude · On the explore map
Source
Measured from space by the American Landsat satellites: not a survey on the ground.
Credits and how we worked this out
Water Observations from Space, Digital Earth Africa (CC BY 4.0), modified: we counted each 30 m pixel over every 2026 ward and added the wards up into municipalities, districts and provinces. Under CC BY 4.0, from the AWS Registry of Open Data.
Landsat imagery courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey.
Mueller, N. and others (2016): Water observations from space: mapping surface water from 25 years of Landsat imagery across Australia, Remote Sensing of Environment 174, 341 to 352.
Dataset: surface water by ward, release of 12 November 2026.