Burkina Faso’s electricity utility company, SONABEL, says it is considering opening the spillway gates at the Bagré Dam this week as water levels in the reservoir keep rising.

According to the latest hydrological update, the Bagré Dam’s upstream water level currently stands at 234.55 metres, with the reservoir 93.98% full. That leaves it just 0.45 metres below its Normal Operating Water Level of 235 metres.

SONABEL, in the update released on Tuesday, said it may proceed with opening the spillway gates as early as Friday, 28 August 2026, if the reservoir reaches the 234.75-metre mark.

The company says it will notify the public in advance of the exact date and time water releases will begin if it becomes necessary.

Bagré Dam releases are routinely monitored in Ghana as well, since spillage from the dam can affect water levels downstream along the White Volta, raising flood concerns in parts of northern Ghana.

Meanwhile, the nearby Kompienga Dam remains further from capacity, with an upstream water level of 178.13 metres and a filling rate of 81.45%, 1.87 metres below its Normal Operating Water Level of 180 metres.

SONABEL noted that one floodgate at Kompienga has been open at 0.50 metres since 1 January 2026, discharging water at a rate of 19.08 cubic metres per second.

The update was issued by Ernest Sanou, an engineer in SONABEL’s Hydraulic Service, under the utility’s Hydroelectric Production Department.