Mingtan Reservoir Introduction
Mingtan Reservoir is located at the confluence of Shui Li Township and Yu Chi Township, in the Shui Li Creek valley, next to Provincial Highway 131. It is an artificial lake created by constructing a dam utilizing the terrain of the Shui Li Creek valley to store the tailwater after hydropower generation from Sun Moon Lake. The Mingtan and Minghu Reservoirs in Checheng Village are designed with an environmentally friendly concept as "pump-storage power plants," constructed for hydropower generation. The power plant uses elevation differences for pump-storage generation, which not only allows for self-adjustment of electricity supply during peak and off-peak hours but also produces no pollution. The lower reservoir dam of Mingtan is a concrete gravity dam, and the reservoir has a crescent-shaped waterbody with a storage capacity of 12 million cubic meters. The water level fluctuates by 28 meters daily, creating a unique tidal phenomenon in the lake. In the morning light, the mist swirls around, presenting an ethereal and otherworldly scene. The lake surface is below the highway, so whether looking down at the lake from the highway or visiting the lakeshore to appreciate its beauty, one can deeply feel the serene and leisurely ambiance of the clear mountains and waters here.
