Mengkuang Dam (Malay: Empangan Mengkuang, Tasik Mengkuang) is a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

Central Seberang Perai District The Central Seberang Perai District ( ms, Daerah Seberang Perai Tengah; abbreviated: "SPT") is a district in the state of Penang, Malaysia. It covers an area of 238 square kilometres, and had a population of 371,975 at the 2010 Census . The distri ...

, Penang,

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. It is the only dam situated in

Seberang Perai Seberang Perai is a city in the Malaysian state of Penang. It is situated on the Malay Peninsula opposite Penang Island, bordering Kedah to the north and east and Perak to the south. Its city centre is located in Butterworth, while its local ...

( Penang Mainland) and the second dam built in Penang after

Ayer Itam Ayer Itam (also spelt Air Itam or Air Hitam) is a suburb of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Nested within the central valleys of Penang Island, it is located approximately southwest of the city centre. Ayer Itam is one of the well-known places ...

dam. It was officially opened by the former governor, Dr. Tun Awang bin Hassan in 1985. It has the water catchment area of and a gross storage capacity of makes it the largest dam in Penang, almost 10 times the capacity of the

Air Itam Dam The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...

. Mengkuang Dam will be closed to the public from August 1, 2011, until July 31, 2016, for enlargement and renovation. The US$200 million enlargement includes increasing the height of the dam by and its length to the west. A new intake and

spillway A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of water downstream from a dam or levee, typically into the riverbed of the dammed river itself. In the United Kingdom, they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways ensure th ...

will also be added.

Recreation

The park in the dam area is a popular place for recreation. Mengkuang Dam is also one of the venues for the annual Penang International Dragon Boat Festival. The festival is a fiesta of colour and noise, in which traditionally-built boats race through the waters of this dam, the boats are cheered on by enthusiastic spectators. The race begins with a slow beating of the drums by the helmsmen. The beat increases steadily, going faster and faster, and then rising to a

crescendo In music, the dynamics of a piece is the variation in loudness between notes or phrases. Dynamics are indicated by specific musical notation, often in some detail. However, dynamics markings still require interpretation by the performer dependin ...

as the boats cross the finish line. The ornate and painted '

dragons A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

' on the boats' prows add to the gaiety of the festival.

References

Buildings and structures in Penang Central Seberang Perai District Dams completed in 1985 Dams in Malaysia {{Malaysia-struct-stub

Recreation

See also

References