Midmar Dam
| Midmar Dam | |
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| File:Midmar Dam-001.jpg
Midmar Dam
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 Location of Midmar Dam in South Africa
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| Official name | Midmar Dam |
| Country | South Africa |
| Location | Howick, KwaZulu-Natal |
| Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
| Purpose | Municipal and industrial use |
| Opening date | 1965 |
| Owner(s) | Department of Water Affairs |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Combination gravity and earth fill dam |
| Impounds | Umgeni River[1] |
| Height | 30 metres (98 ft) |
| Length | 1,423 metres (4,669 ft) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Midmar Dam Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 235,000 megalitres (235 hm3)[2] |
| Surface area | 1,788 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, picnicing, 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, and Eikedal and Blackhurst Peninsula (start of the Midmar Mile) are both stunning picnic areas. The dam also hosts a yacht club, and lock up storage facilities for boats.
No matter what time of year one visits the dam, it is essential to have clothing/gear for both hot and cold weather - the weather changes are rapid, and do not always correspond with the weather in the surrounding area.
Midmar Dam is easily accessible from the N3 motorway.
See also
References
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