Shigang Dam Introduction
Shigang Dam is located at the lowest reach of the Dajia River and is responsible for supplying domestic water for the Greater Taichung area. In 1954, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, together with relevant agencies, formed the "Dajia River Project Committee" to promote multi-objective development including irrigation, power generation, and flood control. In addition to constructing several power plants, a dam was built downstream in the basin to regulate the tail water from these plants. The proposal to construct Shigang Dam was made by the former Water Resources Planning Commission of the Ministry of Economic Affairs in 1959, and construction began on October 31, 1974, and was completed on October 15, 1977. Shigang Dam is a concrete gravity dam that was entirely designed and constructed by Taiwanese engineers. Since its completion, it has provided public water supply, industrial water, agricultural irrigation water, and vessel water for Taichung Port to the Greater Taichung area and parts of Changhua County, playing a crucial role in the economic development of central Taiwan. On September 21, 1999, the Jiji earthquake struck, causing uplift and displacement of the terrain near Shigang Dam, resulting in significant damage to the dam body, spillway gates, and water conveyance tunnels, severely impairing its original water diversion and storage functions and directly leading to a critical water shortage in the central region. With the cooperation of the Water Resources Agency and the Central Region Water Resources Office, emergency repairs were swiftly conducted to resolve the water supply issue in Taichung. Furthermore, short-term, medium-term, and long-term restoration plans for Shigang Dam were formulated and implemented sequentially. By the end of 2000, all emergency repair works were completed, and by the end of 2001, the construction of a newly established fishway was completed, transforming Shigang Dam into a new landscape post-earthquake and allowing it to embark on a new journey. (This text is excerpted from the website of the Central Region Water Resources Office, Water Resources Agency, Ministry of Economic Affairs).
