Type reservoir Primary outflows Benue River Built 1977–1982 Area 586 km² Inflow source Benue River | Primary inflows Basin countries Cameroon Surface area 586 km (226 sq mi) Outflow location Benue River | |
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Lagdo Reservoir is a lake located in the Northern Province of Cameroon. The lake covers an area of 586 km². It is located at 8°53′N 13°58′E.
Map of Lake Lagdo, Cameroon
The Lagdo dam was built between 1977 and 1982 by a combination of engineers and Chinese workers, along with Cameroonian laborers. The company that managed the construction was the China International Water & Electric Corp. Today, international power company AES SONEL runs the hydroelectric dam.
The dam is located 50 km south of the city of Garoua on the Benue River. Its construction was intended to supply electricity to the northern part of the country and allow the irrigation of 15 000 hectares of crops downstream. The dam is 308 m long, 40 m in height and 9 m thick. The dam is located within the Arrondissement de Lagdo in the Département de la Benoué in the North Province.
In 2012, Water Released from the dam flooded areas around the dam including Adamawa State in Nigeria, the flooding resulted in over 10 deaths and loss of properties worth thousands of dollars. A bigger effect of the flooding is however at the lower Benue river region where more than 10,000 homes have been submerged for more than two weeks (since 13 September 2012). This has left more than 10000 hecters of farm land flooded and the streets of makurdi town occupied by crocodies amongst other dangerous creeping creatures. This is not the first time such an occurrence,but the government of Nigeria are still yet to find a solution.
Viewed from space this lake resembles a small cat.