Plover Cove Reservoir

Plover Cove Reservoir

Aerial view of Plover Cove Reservoir
Location New Territories. Hong Kong
Coordinates 22°28′15″N 114°15′10″E / 22.47083°N 114.25278°E / 22.47083; 114.25278Coordinates: 22°28′15″N 114°15′10″E / 22.47083°N 114.25278°E / 22.47083; 114.25278
Lake type reservoir

Plover Cove Reservoir (Chinese: 船灣淡水湖, Cantonese Pingyam: Syun4 Waan1 Taam2 Soeyu2 Wu4), located within Plover Cove Country Park,[1] in the northeastern New Territories, is the largest reservoir in Hong Kong in terms of area, and the second-largest in terms of volume. It was the first in the world to construct a lake from an arm of the ocean. Its main dam was one of the largest in the world at the time of its construction, disconnecting Plover Cove from the sea.

Construction

Main dam. Bottom right: Tai Mei Tuk.
Plover Cove Reservoir as seen from the main dam.

The location was a former cove (bay, as the name suggests) and was a popular hiking site. Construction work commenced in 1960 and was completed in 1968, providing a capacity of 170 million m3. Work on raising the height of the dams began in 1970. Upon completion in 1973, the reservoir capacity was increased to 230 million m3.[2]

One main dam and three service dams were built to shut the cove off from the sea. The cove was then drained and was converted into a fresh-water lake.

The dam of the Reservoir is 28m tall[1] and approximately 2 km long.[2] Besides rain from its catchment, it also stores water imported by pipes from Dongjiang. The Bride's Pool flows into the Plover Cove Reservoir.

Displaced people

Road on top of the main dam.

The creation of the Plover Cove Reservoir necessitated the displacement of the inhabitants of a number of Hakka villages which were covered by the reservoir. The Hakka villagers were compensated by the Hong Kong British colonial government with apartments and shop units along Kwong Fuk Road in Tai Po which were built for their resettlement there.

Fisherman who used to live at the original Sam Mun Tsai site, close to Tai Kau of Luk Heung, now at the northeastern shore of Reservoir, were relocated to Sam Mun Tsai New Village on the island of Yim Tin Tsai (Tai Po District) in 1966. At the time, 36 families were moved to housing on land.[3]

The reservoir today

Plover Cove Reservoir is a natural fish pond that supports a diverse wildlife, including many freshwater fish species.[1] Tai Mei Tuk at the northwestern end of the main dam is a popular barbecue site in Hong Kong.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department: Plover Cove Country Park
  2. 1 2 Water Supplies Department: Plover Cove Reservoir
  3. ↑ Liu T.S., "Home on the Water: Livelihood and Society of the Fishermen Community in Tai Po", Tai Po Book pp. 115–116
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