Free tools · Measured from space
Surface water in Hantam
In 2025, Hantam had 59.9 km² of open water on average, 1.94 km² of it nearly all year. The wettest year since 1984 was 2022 (142 km²); the driest 1987 (2.59 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
- 59.9 km²Water on average0.15% of the land; 138% of the 1991 to 2020 average (43.6 km²)
- 1.94 km²PermanentWater in more than 80% of the clear looks
- 1,490 km²SeasonalWet at least once, but not most of the year
- 95%Of the place seenThe share with at least one clear look
The wettest and driest years
- 2022Wettest, 142 km²2,761 km² wet at some point
- 1987Driest, 2.59 km²0.80 km² permanent
Among the 40 years in which at least 90% as much of the place was seen as in its best year (1 less well seen year is left out), so a cloudy year cannot pass for a dry one.
Every year since 1984
Show the numbers
| When or what | Figure |
|---|---|
| 1984 | 16.4 km² on average, 6.26 km² permanent |
| 1985 | 5.89 km² on average, 5.89 km² permanent |
| 1986 | 7.78 km² on average, 4.35 km² permanent |
| 1987 | 2.59 km² on average, 0.80 km² permanent |
| 1988 | not held |
| 1989 | 72.0 km² on average, 4.00 km² permanent |
| 1990 | 97.8 km² on average, 2.13 km² permanent |
| 1991 | 48.9 km² on average, 1.00 km² permanent |
| 1992 | 25.4 km² on average, 1.06 km² permanent |
| 1993 | 27.8 km² on average, 0.56 km² permanent |
| 1994 | 38.8 km² on average, 0.85 km² permanent |
| 1995 | 40.0 km² on average, 0.35 km² permanent |
| 1996 | 113 km² on average, 3.88 km² permanent |
| 1997 | 53.5 km² on average, 8.31 km² permanent |
| 1998 | 29.7 km² on average, 1.14 km² permanent |
| 1999 | 21.4 km² on average, 0.52 km² permanent |
| 2000 | 93.7 km² on average, 5.12 km² permanent |
| 2001 | 95.7 km² on average, 2.06 km² permanent |
| 2002 | 27.4 km² on average, 2.48 km² permanent |
| 2003 | 8.83 km² on average, 0.43 km² permanent |
| 2004 | 15.2 km² on average, 0.85 km² permanent |
| 2005 | 31.5 km² on average, 0.48 km² permanent |
| 2006 | 43.9 km² on average, 2.62 km² permanent |
| 2007 | 26.8 km² on average, 0.99 km² permanent |
| 2008 | 61.6 km² on average, 8.31 km² permanent |
| 2009 | 40.7 km² on average, 3.17 km² permanent |
| 2010 | 28.9 km² on average, 0.79 km² permanent |
| 2011 | 101 km² on average, 6.43 km² permanent |
| 2012 | 46.1 km² on average, 0.84 km² permanent |
| 2013 | 66.0 km² on average, 2.06 km² permanent |
| 2014 | 22.7 km² on average, 1.45 km² permanent |
| 2015 | 27.3 km² on average, 0.74 km² permanent |
| 2016 | 33.7 km² on average, 0.67 km² permanent |
| 2017 | 37.8 km² on average, 0.36 km² permanent |
| 2018 | 61.3 km² on average, 0.57 km² permanent |
| 2019 | 11.1 km² on average, 0.32 km² permanent |
| 2020 | 27.9 km² on average, 0.20 km² permanent |
| 2021 | 58.8 km² on average, 0.53 km² permanent |
| 2022 | 142 km² on average, 6.81 km² permanent |
| 2023 | 53.4 km² on average, 5.06 km² permanent |
| 2024 | 52.8 km² on average, 2.47 km² permanent |
| 2025 | 59.9 km² on average, 1.94 km² permanent |
| Year | Water on average | Permanent | Seasonal | Wet at some point | Seen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 59.9 km² | 1.94 km² | 1,490 km² | 1,492 km² | 95% |
| 2024 | 52.8 km² | 2.47 km² | 1,448 km² | 1,451 km² | 95% |
| 2023 | 53.4 km² | 5.06 km² | 1,748 km² | 1,753 km² | 95% |
| 2022 | 142 km² | 6.81 km² | 2,754 km² | 2,761 km² | 95% |
| 2021 | 58.8 km² | 0.53 km² | 1,556 km² | 1,557 km² | 95% |
| 2020 | 27.9 km² | 0.20 km² | 873 km² | 874 km² | 95% |
| 2019 | 11.1 km² | 0.32 km² | 424 km² | 424 km² | 95% |
| 2018 | 61.3 km² | 0.57 km² | 1,447 km² | 1,448 km² | 95% |
| 2017 | 37.8 km² | 0.36 km² | 1,209 km² | 1,210 km² | 95% |
| 2016 | 33.7 km² | 0.67 km² | 930 km² | 931 km² | 95% |
| 2015 | 27.3 km² | 0.74 km² | 653 km² | 654 km² | 95% |
| 2014 | 22.7 km² | 1.45 km² | 527 km² | 529 km² | 95% |
| 2013 | 66.0 km² | 2.06 km² | 799 km² | 801 km² | 95% |
| 2012 | 46.1 km² | 0.84 km² | 375 km² | 376 km² | 95% |
| 2011 | 101 km² | 6.43 km² | 707 km² | 713 km² | 95% |
| 2010 | 28.9 km² | 0.79 km² | 247 km² | 248 km² | 95% |
| 2009 | 40.7 km² | 3.17 km² | 253 km² | 256 km² | 95% |
| 2008 | 61.6 km² | 8.31 km² | 431 km² | 439 km² | 95% |
| 2007 | 26.8 km² | 0.99 km² | 342 km² | 343 km² | 95% |
| 2006 | 43.9 km² | 2.62 km² | 463 km² | 465 km² | 95% |
| 2005 | 31.5 km² | 0.48 km² | 403 km² | 403 km² | 95% |
| 2004 | 15.2 km² | 0.85 km² | 187 km² | 187 km² | 95% |
| 2003 | 8.83 km² | 0.43 km² | 91.9 km² | 92.3 km² | 95% |
| 2002 | 27.4 km² | 2.48 km² | 217 km² | 219 km² | 95% |
| 2001 | 95.7 km² | 2.06 km² | 673 km² | 675 km² | 95% |
| 2000 | 93.7 km² | 5.12 km² | 552 km² | 557 km² | 95% |
| 1999 | 21.4 km² | 0.52 km² | 167 km² | 167 km² | 95% |
| 1998 | 29.7 km² | 1.14 km² | 307 km² | 308 km² | 95% |
| 1997 | 53.5 km² | 8.31 km² | 443 km² | 451 km² | 95% |
| 1996 | 113 km² | 3.88 km² | 1,037 km² | 1,041 km² | 95% |
| 1995 | 40.0 km² | 0.35 km² | 531 km² | 532 km² | 95% |
| 1994 | 38.8 km² | 0.85 km² | 270 km² | 271 km² | 95% |
| 1993 | 27.8 km² | 0.56 km² | 248 km² | 249 km² | 95% |
| 1992 | 25.4 km² | 1.06 km² | 323 km² | 324 km² | 95% |
| 1991 | 48.9 km² | 1.00 km² | 518 km² | 519 km² | 95% |
| 1990 | 97.8 km² | 2.13 km² | 1,106 km² | 1,108 km² | 95% |
| 1989 | 72.0 km² | 4.00 km² | 866 km² | 870 km² | 95% |
| 1987 | 2.59 km² | 0.80 km² | 4.02 km² | 4.82 km² | 95% |
| 1986 | 7.78 km² | 4.35 km² | 9.19 km² | 13.5 km² | 95% |
| 1985 | 5.89 km² | 5.89 km² | none | 5.89 km² | 81% |
| 1984 | 16.4 km² | 6.26 km² | 37.0 km² | 43.3 km² | 95% |
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 (Calvinia)
- Ward 2 (Calvinia-Wes)
- Ward 3 (Brandvlei, Halfweg)
- Ward 4 (Nieuwoudtville, Proteaville)
- Ward 5 (Loeriesfontein, Sous)
- Ward 6 (Calvinia-Wes)
- Ward 7 (Off Centre Camp, Middelpos)
Places in each ward: © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Every municipality, ranked · Everything we hold for Hantam · 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.