The Kariba Lake is designed to operate between levels 475.50m and 488.50m (with 0.70m freeboard) for hydropower generation.
The Kariba Lake level is in recession, steadily dropping to 481.21m (40.89% usable storage) as of 16th September 2026, compared to 477.98m (17.26% usable storage) recorded on the same date last year.
From:
Thursday, September 3, 2026
To:
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Lake Levels:
| Day | This Year | %Full | Last Year | %Full |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-Sept | 481.45 | 42.70% | 478.27 | 19.31% |
| 4-Sept | 481.43 | 42.55% | 478.25 | 19.17% |
| 5-Sept | 481.42 | 42.47% | 478.23 | 19.03% |
| 6-Sept | 481.41 | 42.40% | 478.21 | 18.89% |
| 7-Sept | 481.39 | 42.25% | 478.19 | 18.74% |
| 8-Sept | 481.38 | 42.17% | 478.16 | 18.53% |
| 9-Sept | 481.36 | 42.02% | 478.13 | 18.32% |
| 10-Sept | 481.33 | 41.79% | 478.11 | 18.18% |
| 11-Sept | 481.32 | 41.72% | 478.08 | 17.97% |
| 12-Sept | 481.3 | 41.57% | 478.06 | 17.83% |
| 13-Sept | 481.28 | 41.42% | 478.04 | 17.69% |
| 14-Sept | 481.25 | 41.19% | 478.01 | 17.47% |
| 15-Sept | 481.22 | 40.97% | 478 | 17.40% |
| 16-Sept | 481.21 | 40.89% | 477.98 | 17.26% |
Lake Levels Graphic:
