The Windhoek City Council in Namibia required the maximum discharge from the Avis dam for the 1 in 100 year flood event to be limited to almost half the inflow peak to prevent undue flooding through the city. The original dam spillway and basin could not achieve that. Further, electrically actuated gates were not a safe option considering the remoteness of the site, vandalism and the harsh environment. The TOPS automatic spillway gate was selected as the only viable and safe option to achieve the performance criteria. Two 3,5m high by 11m long TOPS gates were employed using a unique level control device to release water from the dam without an increase in water level up to the maximum flow required and thereafter the flood would be attenuated. The gates are automatic and self actuating and provide a unique and interesting solution to this problem of flood control. This paper presents a case study of the problem, solution, design, model study, fabrication and commissioning of the TOPS Spillway gates for this dam.