Plover Cove

Plover Cove was an arm of the sea until the 1960s, when Hong Kong, short of water and short of valleys, dammed the mouth of the inlet, pumped out the seawater and let rain and streams refill it, completing the scheme in 1968; it is often described as the first reservoir in the world created by enclosing part of the sea. The main dam runs two kilometres across the former mouth and is walked and cycled from Tai Mei Tuk, with the reservoir on one side and Tolo Harbour on the other. Bicycle hire, barbecue sites and a water sports centre cluster at the landward end, and trails climb into the Pat Sin Leng hills behind.

History

Hong Kong has few natural lakes, and on 24 July 1958 the government said its engineers were studying how to turn sea inlets into freshwater lakes, with Plover Cove - enclosed on three sides, with shallow water at its mouth - at the top of the list. The consultants Binnie, Deacon and Gourley confirmed the idea in 1959, estimating the cost at about HK$348 million. One main dam and three smaller ones were built from 1960 to 1968 to cut the cove off from the sea, the salt water was drained and the lake filled to 170 million cubic metres; the dams were then raised between 1970 and 1973, taking it to 230 million. Besides rain it stores water piped from the East River in mainland China (Wikipedia, Plover Cove Reservoir).

The landscape

• A reservoir taken from the sea - the inlet dammed and pumped out.
• The two-kilometre main dam - water on one side, harbour on the other.
• Cycling from Tai Mei Tuk - the hire shops and the flat dam route.
• Trails into Pat Sin Leng - the ridge walks starting behind the reservoir.

When to go

October to April for cycling and walking without heat. Half a day. Weekends are extremely busy at Tai Mei Tuk and bicycles sell out. Bring water; the dam has no shade.

What to expect

The dam is entirely exposed with no shade and gets very hot. Weekend crowds at the bike hire and barbecue area are heavy. Swimming in the reservoir is prohibited. There is little to do beyond walking or cycling the dam.

Nearby

Bride's Pool is north; Tai Po lies south-west.

Key facts