Midmar Dam

Midmar Dam is a combined gravity & earth-fill type dam and recreation area located near Howick and Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Boating, swimming, waterskiing, picnicking, 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).

Midmar Dam
Midmar Dam
Location of Midmar Dam in South Africa
Official name	Midmar Dam
Country	South Africa
Location	Howick, KwaZulu-Natal
Coordinates	29°30′S 30°11′E
Purpose	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)

Morgenzon has camping and caravanning sites, both powered and non-powered. The dam also hosts a yacht club,^[3] and lock up storage facilities for boats.

Midmar Dam is easily accessible from the N3 motorway.

See also

• List of reservoirs and dams in South Africa
• List of rivers of South Africa
• Umgeni River
• Midmar Mile