| Mtera Dam | |
|---|---|
 The Mtera Reservoir in the year 2012. | |
Mtera Dam Location in Tanzania Show map of TanzaniaMtera Dam Mtera Dam (Africa) Show map of AfricaMtera Dam Mtera Dam (Earth) Show map of Earth | |
| Official name | Bwawa la Mtera (Swahili) |
| Country | Tanzania |
| Coordinates | 7°08′10.3″S 35°59′12.6″E / 7.136194°S 35.986833°E / -7.136194; 35.986833 |
| Purpose | Flood control and power |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1970 |
| Opening date | 19 February 1981 |
| Owner | TANESCO |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Rock-fill dam |
| Impounds | Great Ruaha River |
| Height | 40 metres (130 ft) |
| Elevation at crest | 701.5 metres (2,302 ft) |
| Reservoir | |
| Catchment area | 68,000 km2 (26,000 sq mi) |
| Power Station | |
| Commission date | 1984 |
| Turbines | 2× 40 MW |
| Installed capacity | 80 MW |
| Website Tanesco website | |
| Source: TANESCO1 | |
Mtera Dam is a hydroelectric dam in Tanzania. The dam is located midway between Iringa and Dodoma on the border between the Iringa Region and the Dodoma Region. The travel time from Dodoma is about two hours on a tarmac road.
Overview
Mtera Dam is a large hydroelectric dam in Tanzania. It measures 660 square kilometres (250 sq mi) at full capacity. The lake is 56 kilometres (35 mi) long, and 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) wide, and is feed by the Great Ruaha River and the Kisigo River. It was built from 1975 to 1979 for the purpose of regulating water level at the downstream at the Ruaha installed Kidatu Hydro-electric Dam. It has a capacity of 80 megawatts (110,000 hp).
Ecology
The lake is considered to be one of the best places in Tanzania to observe birds, since there are approximately one million dead trees in it and it has many shallow areas.2 In addition, the waters are rich in fish. In the early 1990s about 5000 tonnes of fish were caught in the lake.3
References
References
- "Mtera Dam". TANESCO. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
- "BirdLife Data Zone".
- "Status of fish stocks and fisheries of thirteen medium-sized African reservoirs".
Öhman, May-Britt, Taming Exotic Beauties: Swedish Hydro Power Constructions in Tanzania in the Era of Development Assistance, 1960s - 1990s, Stockholm, 2007, PhD Thesis, http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2:12267