Burkina Faso’s national electricity company, SONABEL, has commenced the 2026 spillway discharge at the Bagré Dam following the opening of one of the dam’s spillway gates on Saturday morning.
The gate was opened at 9:53 am local time, when the water level upstream stood at 234.79 metres.
SONABEL said the single gate was raised to 0.41 metres, resulting in a discharge of 47.72 cubic metres of water per second.
The company said a siren was activated to alert communities downstream, following continuous radio announcements that began on Friday.
As an additional precaution, areas identified as being at high risk downstream have been cordoned off to protect residents.
Bagré Rural Radio was also present to report on the operation and support public awareness efforts.
SONABEL urged communities in affected areas to remain alert and observe the safety measures put in place during the discharge.
