Historic Rooidamme

Many Murraysburgers share fond memories of the Rooidamme from years gone by.

Thanks to the efforts of the MSDC the canal filling the dam and the dam itself have been repaired.

The time has come to restore this historic site to its former glory and to create a recreational facility for the whole town to share.

Trees have been planted on the island and we’ve already seen birds like ducks, plovers and herons returning to the site.

Although the drought is taking its toll at the moment, we want to press ahead with restoration work.

The fences around the site were recently repaired to keep our famous “loslopende diere” away. (A big thank you to KVB who donated the fencing and other materials needed to make these repairs.)

The low water levels will not dampen our efforts.

We already have some ideas …

  • What do you think about a jetty at the dam and a bird hide?
  • A walking path around the dam?
  • An indigenous plant garden?
  • An area where we could hold regular food and craft markets?
  • What about repairing the old picnic area?

All these ideas are part of a bigger plan to develop the Rooidamme into a place where we can all relax and enjoy nature.

We asked local artist Janet Kingwill to sketch a few of our ideas to help illustrate what we have in mind.