WLE Mekong
  • About Us
    • About us
      • Our objectives
      • Our team
      • Contact us
    • Our partners
        • Cambodian Partners
        • Chinese Partners
        • International Partners
        • Lao Partners
        • Myanmar Partners
        • Thai Partners
        • Vietnamese Partners
    • Close
  • Changes
    • Where We Work
      • Irrawaddy River Basin
      • Mekong River Basin
      • Red River Basin
      • Salween River Basin
      • View all projects
    • Our Work
      • Benefit-sharing
      • Catchments & Landuse
      • Gender & Diversity
      • Research for Development
      • River Food Systems
      • River Monitoring
      • Water Governance
      • Capacity Building & Professional Development
    • Our Research
      • Greater Mekong Dams Observatory
      • State of Knowledge Series
      • Water Knowledge Series
      • Irrawaddy River Basin
      • Mekong River Basin
      • Red River Basin
      • Salween River Basin
    • Close
  • Dialogue
    • Stories
      • Irrawaddy River Basin
      • Mekong River Basin
      • Red River Basin
      • Salween River Basin
      • Mekong Citizen
    • Greater Mekong Fora
      • 2018 Greater Mekong Forum
      • 2017 Greater Mekong Forum
      • 2016 Greater Mekong Forum
      • 2015 Greater Mekong Forum
    • Close

Mekong Blog

  • Mekong River Basin

Malaysian developer spells out plans for Don Sahong dam

  • Stories
  • Greater Mekong Forums
  • Mekong Citizen

Malaysian developer spells out plans for Don Sahong dam

cpwf.mekongJuly 11, 2013Uncategorized, Vientiane Times

Vientiane Times, 1 July 2013

Mega First Corporation Berhad (MFCB) is proposing a single dam across the Hou Sahong River, about 130 metres upstream of the Xang Pheuak junction in southernmost Champassak province, the company announced last week.

The firm has no concession agreement yet with the Lao government to operate a hydropower plant at Don Sahong, so there has been no civil engineering construction at the site, the company said.

Environmental Manager of the Don Sahong Hydro Power Project, Dr Peter Hawkins, said in the company’s statement that water level and bathymetry measurements and drilling work have all been done to optimise the project design.

“In addition, because we are well aware of the potential environmental and social impacts of a dam on the Hou Sahong, we have been trialling measures to avoid impacting the important fish migration pathways through the area,” he said. He made the comment after being asked for more details about the company’s work to improve the fish migration pathway through the Hou Sadam.

According to Dr Hawkins, the Hou Sadam pathway is the most recent development and was completed just before Lao New Year in April this year. The approach and methodology the company used in the Hou Sadam fish passage development were the same as those used to improve the pathways in the Xang Pheuak channel in 2012.

The channel modifications were designed by international and local consultants and implemented by MFCB Lao staff with labourers from villages on the Phapheng Sadam and Sahong islands. Dr Hawkins said MFCB policy was to avoid the use of explosives in fish pathway modifications. They used a compressor and jackhammer along with other more traditional methods (fire and water) to break up the bedrock which limits the depth of the smaller upstream entrance to the Sadam channel.

Because it is not obstructed by any waterfalls along its length, the Sadam channel has always been a viable, albeit narrow fish migration pathway across the Great Fault Line of the Lower Mekong River.

The decaying brick obelisks along the banks, once used by French colonial era ships to winch themselves upstream, are evidence that even cargo boats once used this channel.

“We expect the upstream excavation to increase wet season flow and help scour sand accumulations from the downstream end of the channel, thus producing a greater attractant flow for upstream migrating fish,” Dr Hawkins said.

Previous
Story
Next
Story

Related Stories

  • mekong
    February 2, 2015
    Fish fix adds B10bn to Xayaburi cost
  • mekong
    August 25, 2013
    Conserving biodiversity, sustaining Mekong livelihoods
  • mekong
    January 22, 2013
    Families adjust to new life after losing homes to Theun-Hinboun dam expansion
  • mekong
    February 1, 2015
    Electricity use forecast to grow by 6% in 2015
  • mekong
    January 25, 2013
    MRC countries not opposed to Xayaboury dam
  • mekong
    February 1, 2015
    Thailand Slips Into Deflation on Falling Energy Prices
  • mekong
    October 9, 2013
    Government notifies MRC on Don Sahong dam
    Water Governance
  • mekong
    March 10, 2015
    Cambodia PM says work on mega-dam will not start until 2018
  • mekong
    August 25, 2013
    Workshop discusses livelihood concerns in Nam Ngum River Basin
  • mekong
    February 2, 2015
    Development Partners Appreciated For Supporting Lower Mekong Sustainability
  • mekong
    February 4, 2015
    Hydropower major revenue earner for the country
  • mekong
    October 14, 2012
    Govt promotes investment in small-scale hydropower
  • mekong
    April 24, 2014
    Mekong levels higher than normal despite concerns: MRC
  • greater-mekong mekong
    November 4, 2015
    What do the Nile, the Ganges, the Volta, and the Mekong have in common?
  • mekong
    March 27, 2013
    IFC backs Lao hydropower development policy
  • irrawaddy mekong red
    August 24, 2012
    River Basin Games
    Research for Development | Water Governance
  • mekong
    July 12, 2013
    Laos commits to follow Mekong agreement
  • mekong
    March 28, 2013
    Relocated villagers to get similar payouts from Xayaboury dam builders
  • mekong
    March 28, 2013
    Fish passage not a problem, dam builders say
  • mekong
    August 29, 2013
    Developers ink concession agreement for Borikhamxay dam

The sustainable development of the Greater Mekong depends on the fair and equitable governance of its water.

ABOUT WLE

  • Our objectives
  • Our team
  • Our partners
  • Terms of use
  • Newsletters
  • Contact us

CO-SUPPORTED BY

WLE Greater Mekong is funded in part by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

Water, Land & Ecosystems Mekong - footer logos
© All rights reserved - WLE CGIAR
Subscribe to our newsletter SIGN UP
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy