Sol Plaatje Dam, formerly known as Saulspoort Dam, is an earth-fill reservoir situated at the confluence of the As and Liebenbergsvlei Rivers, approximately 10 kilometres northwest of Bethlehem in the Free State province of South Africa. Constructed in 1968 and operated by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, the dam has a total storage capacity of 15,676,000 cubic metres and covers a surface area of 356 hectares (880 acres). The dam wall stands 19 metres high and 70 metres in length. The reservoir receives augmented inflows from the Lesotho Highlands Water Project via the As River, which contributes to relatively consistent water levels.

The dam serves primarily as a municipal and domestic water supply source for the Bethlehem region, and its hazard potential has been officially ranked as high. Paddlers should be aware of this designation and exercise appropriate caution. The access roads to the dam area include an unlit gravel path leading to a jetty — a feature that contributed to the tragic bus disaster of 1 May 2003, in which 51 people drowned when a bus drove off the jetty into the water. This incident led to the dam's renaming in 2005. The presence of jetty infrastructure and potentially unmarked or ungated access points near the water's edge are safety considerations worth noting.

Water sports, including paddling, are reported as popular activities on the dam. The surrounding area sits at an elevation of approximately 1,700 metres above sea level, with an annual rainfall of around 1,020 mm. The eastern Free State experiences a rainy season during which rivers and dams can rise significantly, while the broader landscape consists of agricultural terrain and grassy plains typical of the region. Fish species recorded in the dam include common carp, largemouth black bass, smallmouth yellowfish, North African catfish, and grass carp, reflecting a mixed aquatic environment. The nearby Liebenbergsvlei River, which feeds into the dam, offers additional paddling opportunities with grades ranging from 1 to 2 over approximately 45 kilometres.