Zengwun Dam
Encyclopedia
Zengwun Dam is a major earthen dam in southern Taiwan
on the Zengwun River. It is one of the largest dams in the country and also forms the largest reservoir
in Taiwan. The dam serves to regulate flows of irrigation and municipal water to the southern plains of the country and also supports a 50 MW hydroelectric power station.
The first proposals of the dam were as early as 1939, but construction did not start until October 31, 1967 because of World War II
. The first step was building an earthen diversion dam that sent the flow of the Zengwun River into a pair of tunnels on the south side of the dam site. As the dam was hydraulically filled, construction started on the spillway to the north of the dam. The power plant was completed just before the reservoir started storing water on October 31, 1973, exactly six years after groundbreaking.
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
on the Zengwun River. It is one of the largest dams in the country and also forms the largest reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
in Taiwan. The dam serves to regulate flows of irrigation and municipal water to the southern plains of the country and also supports a 50 MW hydroelectric power station.
The first proposals of the dam were as early as 1939, but construction did not start until October 31, 1967 because of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The first step was building an earthen diversion dam that sent the flow of the Zengwun River into a pair of tunnels on the south side of the dam site. As the dam was hydraulically filled, construction started on the spillway to the north of the dam. The power plant was completed just before the reservoir started storing water on October 31, 1973, exactly six years after groundbreaking.