Feicui Dam

The dam was proposed in the 1970s during a period of severe drought in northern Taiwan. The reservoir site was located on the Beishi River, which joins with the Nanshi River to form the Xindian River which flows through New Taipei City. A dam built here would hold back water during the wet season, when the flow in Nanshi River alone is enough to meet water demands, and release water to augment supplies as needed during the dry season.{{cite journal

|author1=Ching-Pin Tung |author2=Yun-Ju Chen |author3=Szu-Wei Chen |author4=Tzu-Ming Liu |title=Sustainability Appraisal of Taipei Municipal Water Supply System

|journal=Journal of Environmental Engineering and Management

|volume=16

|number=5

|pages=319–325

|year=2006}}

This dam site was considered favorable because of good soil and forest conditions of the upstream watershed; at the time human development consisted mainly of tea plantations. The quality was much better than the watershed behind Shihmen Dam, the other major water source for greater Taipei, which has suffered crippling sediment issues due to deforestation.{{cite journal

|author1=Cheng Bai-You

|author2=Fang Wi-Ta

|title=The Effect of Developing a Tunnel across a Highway on the Water Quality in an Upstream Reservoir Watershed Area—A Case Study of the Hsuehshan Tunnel in Taiwan Shyu Guey-Shin 1

|journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

|volume=9

|issue=12

|pages=3344–3353

|date=2012

|doi=10.3390/ijerph9093344

|pmid=23202691

|pmc=3499873

|doi-access=free

}} In order to preserve the watershed, the Taiwan government evicted many residents in upstream areas.{{cite news|author1=Han Cheung|title=Taiwan in Time: The 'Atlantis of Taiwan'|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2017/06/25/2003673241|accessdate=25 June 2017|work=Taipei Times|date=25 June 2017}}

Although the Dam is located in New Taipei, construction was funded by Taipei City, in order to provide water to the capital. Construction began in August 1979 and was completed in June 1987. The dam cost NT$11.4 billion to construct. Today about 46 percent of the water is delivered to Taipei City and 54 percent is used in New Taipei. The service area incorporates about 6.3 million people–a quarter of Taiwan's population.{{cite web

|title=Why is Feitsui Reservoir located in New Taipei City but managed by Taipei City Government?

|publisher=Taipei City Government

|date=2015-06-24

|accessdate=2015-08-12

|url=http://english.gov.taipei/ct.asp?xItem=44407039&ctNode=36793&mp=100002}}

In 2014, the Feicui Reservoir supplied a total of 344.5 million cubic meters (279,300 acre feet) of water for municipal and industrial uses, or about 944,000 cubic meters (249 million gallons) per day.{{cite web

|url=http://english.fra.gov.taipei/ct.asp?xItem=95485082&ctNode=43023&mp=122012

|title=December 2014 Administrative Report

|publisher=Taipei Feitsui Reservoir Administration

|work=Achievements of 2015

|date=December 2014

|accessdate=2015-08-12}}

Feicui Dam is the largest concrete dam in Taiwan. The dam is a three-centered double curvature arch, {{convert|122.5|m|ft}} tall, {{convert|510|m|ft}} long, and consisting of {{convert|703675|m3|yd3}} of material. The dam crest has an elevation of {{convert|172.5|m|ft}} above sea level.{{cite web

|url=http://english.fra.gov.taipei/ct.asp?xItem=186695&CtNode=17930&mp=122012

|title=Profile

|publisher=Taipei Feitsui Reservoir Administration

|website=

|date=2014-06-23

|accessdate=2015-08-12}} A forebay dam {{convert|33|m|ft}} high is located immediately downstream, to reduce erosion from floodwater releases.{{cite web

|url=http://english.fra.gov.taipei/ct.asp?xItem=187262&CtNode=18516&mp=122012

|title=Description of Feitsui Reservoir

|publisher=Taipei Feitsui Reservoir Administration

|date=2015-07-23

|accessdate=2015-08-12}} Located in a seismically active zone, Feitsui Dam is designed to withstand a magnitude 7.0 earthquake.{{cite web

|url=http://english.gov.taipei/ct.asp?xItem=44407073&ctNode=36810&mp=100002

|title=Will Feitsui Reservoir break during strong earthquakes?

|publisher=Taipei City Government

|date=2015-06-24

|accessdate=2015-08-12}}{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}

The Feicui Reservoir has a water storage capacity of 460 million cubic meters (370,000 acre feet){{cite book|title=Reservoirs and Weirs in Taiwan|publisher=Taiwan Water Resources Agency, Ministry of Public Affairs|language=Chinese|page=319}} and an active capacity of 335.5 million cubic meters (272,000 acre feet). The reservoir is operated for water supply, with flood control and hydro power generation as secondary purposes. The main purchasers of water are Taipei Water Department and Taiwan Water Corporation. After the Zengwun Reservoir, Feicui is the second biggest lake in Taiwan.{{cite web|url=http://www.ey.gov.tw/en/cp.aspx?n=5776024635D354A6|title=Executive Yuan, R.O.C. (Taiwan)|work=ey.gov.tw|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151012071112/http://www.ey.gov.tw/en/cp.aspx?n=5776024635D354A6|archive-date=2015-10-12}}

Image:GueiShanPowerPlant.jpg

Hydroelectricity is produced at the Gueishan Power Station, which has one Francis turbine with a capacity of 70 megawatts. The plant operates under a gross head of {{convert|89|m|ft}}, and the annual power generation is 223 million kilowatt hours. The maximum flow rate is {{convert|102|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}.

Water is released through three sets of gates. The crest spillway is controlled by 8 radial gates, each {{convert|9.3|m|ft}} high and {{convert|14|m|ft}} wide. The bottom sluice way is controlled by three fixed wheel gates of {{convert|3|x|2.5|m|ft}}. There is also a tunnel spillway, consisting of a tunnel {{convert|386.13|m|ft}} long and {{convert|10|m|ft}} wide. With all gates open the dam can release {{convert|9870|m3/s|cuft/s}} of floodwater.

File:2018Feitsui Dam.jpg

The dam and reservoir are noted for the lack of public access, in order to protect the quality of the drinking water. With the exception of maintenance workers and Taipei City officials, visitation to the dam itself requires a special appointment and must be accompanied by a certified guide.{{cite web

|url=http://tour.ntpc.gov.tw/page.aspx?wtp=3&wnd=336&id=E1_382000000A_012050

|title=Feicui Reservoir

|publisher=New Taipei City Travel

|date=

|accessdate=2015-08-12}} In 2014, a total of 15,798 people toured Feitsui dam compared to 1.7 million people who visited the Shihmen Dam.{{cite book

|author1=van Harssel, Jan |author2=Jackson, Richard H. |author3=Hudman, Lloyd E. |title=National Geographic Learning's Visual Geography of Travel and Tourism

|publisher=Cengage Learning

|year=2014

|page=460

|isbn=978-1-13395-126-1

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jscTCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT489}} There are also few, if any designated access and view points on the {{convert|15|km|mi|abbr=on}} long Feicui Reservoir. The closest major road is Provincial Highway 9.{{cite web

|url=http://www.chinapost.com.tw/travel/taiwan-north/taipei/2009/02/12/195813/Exploring-the.htm

|title=Exploring the Mysterious Feitsui Reservoir

|author=Saunders, Richard

|publisher=The China Post

|date=2009-02-12

|accessdate=2015-08-12}}

{{Portal|Taiwan|Water|Renewable energy}}

• List of dams and reservoirs in Taiwan
• List of power stations in Taiwan
• Electricity sector in Taiwan

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category|Feitsui Dam}}

• [http://w2.feitsui.gov.tw/realdata-e.htm Current Feicui Reservoir water level] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305173447/http://w2.feitsui.gov.tw/realdata-e.htm |date=2016-03-05 }}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1987 establishments in Taiwan

Category:Dams completed in 1987

Category:Arch dams

Category:Dams in Taiwan

Category:Buildings and structures in New Taipei

Category:Hydroelectric power stations in Taiwan