Midmar Dam

Midmar Dam
Midmar Dam
Midmar Dam is located in South Africa
Midmar Dam
Location of Midmar Dam in South Africa
Official nameMidmar Dam
CountrySouth Africa
LocationHowick, KwaZulu-Natal
Coordinates29°30′S 30°11′E / 29.500°S 30.183°E / -29.500; 30.183
Purposeindustrial use
Opening date1965
Owner(s)Department of Water Affairs
Dam and spillways
Type of damCombination gravity and earth fill dam
ImpoundsUmgeni River[1]
Height30 metres (98 ft)
Length1,423 metres (4,669 ft)
Reservoir
CreatesMidmar Dam Reservoir
Total capacity235,000 megalitres (235 hm3)[2]
Surface area1,788 hectares (4,420 acres)

Midmar Dam is a combined gravity & earth-fill type dam and recreation area located near Howick and Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Boating, swimming, waterskiing, picnicking, and fishing are popular pastimes at Midmar Dam. Each year, the Midmar Mile swimming race is held there, which organizers call "the world's largest open water swimming event". Over 20,000 entries were received for the 2009 event. Midmar Dam is located in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal. The dam's primary purpose is to serve for municipal and industrial use and its hazard potential has been ranked high (3).

Morgenzon has camping and caravanning sites, both powered and non-powered. The dam also hosts a yacht club,[3] and lock up storage facilities for boats.

Midmar Dam is easily accessible from the N3 motorway.

  1. ^ "Quantification of factors affecting coagulation of water with cationic polymers and laboratory methods for determining these effects". Foundation for Water Research. January 2004. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
  2. ^ "uMgungundlovu IDP - Phase one: part 3 - Analysis Report". KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government. Archived from the original on 14 August 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
  3. ^ "Home". hmyc.org.za.