Burkina Faso's national electricity company, SONABEL, has begun the 2026 spillway discharge at the Bagré Dam with the opening of the spillway gates this morning.
Burkina Faso’s national electricity company, SONABEL, has begun the 2026 spillway discharge at the Bagré Dam with the opening of the spillway gates this morning.
The operation took place at 09:53 local time. At the time of opening, the upstream water level stood at 234.79 metres.
According to SONABEL, only one gate was opened, to a height of 0.41 metres, releasing a discharge of 47.72 cubic metres per second.
The company said a siren was sounded to alert communities living downstream, adding that the alert follows radio announcements which have been broadcast continuously since yesterday.
SONABEL added that high-risk areas identified downstream have been cordoned off as a precautionary measure.
It said a team from Bagré Rural Radio was present to cover the operation, as part of efforts to raise public awareness.
Follow the story
