In 1985, Dau Tieng Lake officially operated to supply irrigation water for the province's agricultural sector. Up to now, after 4 decades of operation, Dau Tieng Lake, with investment from the Central and the province, is an irrigation project serving multiple purposes of supplying irrigation water, domestic water, industrial water... not only for Tay Ninh province but also for neighboring provinces and cities.

Multipurpose project

Dau Tieng Reservoir has an area of ^​​270km2 , capacity of 1.58 billion cubic meters of water, with the following tasks: supplying water for agriculture, industry, and daily life for the provinces of Tay Ninh, Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong, Long An, and Ho Chi Minh City; reducing floods for the downstream area of ​​the Saigon River, supporting the creation of irrigation sources, releasing environmental flows, improving the environment and water quality of the Saigon River, the Vam Co Dong River, and other tasks.

This is also an important irrigation project especially related to national security according to Decision No. 1502/QD-TTg dated December 2, 2024 of the Prime Minister on including 3 irrigation projects in the list of projects related to national security.

The irrigation canal system developed from Dau Tieng Lake covers large farming areas of the province, helping to increase crop productivity, diversify production models, especially in industries such as rice, sugarcane, vegetables, fruit trees and medicinal plants. In addition, the lake also provides water for daily life, industry, flood control, improves the ecological environment and develops tourism - services, creating jobs for people.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Xuan - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment said that with the above tasks, Dau Tieng reservoir plays a particularly important role, especially for the agricultural development of Tay Ninh province. On the basis of promoting the effectiveness of the Dau Tieng irrigation system's water resources and investing in the irrigation system, it has helped the province expand the irrigation area for many areas that have not previously benefited from irrigation water sources; ensuring water security, providing irrigation water for crops throughout the year and during the transition period, preventing drought, improving and enhancing crop productivity and quality.

In 2024, Dau Tieng Lake provided irrigation water from the irrigation system to 152,065 hectares (accounting for about 40% of the agricultural production area in the province; of which 120,936 hectares were actively supplied with irrigation water, reaching 80%) - an increase of more than 69,600 hectares compared to 2010, expanding irrigation areas: West of Vam Co Dong River, Tan Bien irrigation area, Tha La sugarcane raw material area...

Thereby, contributing to increasing productivity, quality and transforming crop structure. In the period 2016-2024, the transformation of crop structure in the province will reach 43,330 hectares (average 5,416 hectares/year); the average product value obtained per hectare of cultivated land in 2024 will reach 112 million VND, an increase of 31.55 million VND/ha compared to 2016 (estimated in 2025 about 115 million VND/ha).

The lake also serves industrial water supply of about 7.87 million ^m3 /year, an increase of 2.42 million cubic meters compared to 2010 (5.45 million ^m3 /year); domestic water supply of about more than 8 million ^m3 /year.

According to Mr. Nguyen Dinh Xuan - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, it can be affirmed that the operational efficiency of Dau Tieng Lake is one of the important foundations for the sustainable development of Tay Ninh province over the past 4 decades.

Strategic resources

To maximize the potential of Dau Tieng Lake, in addition to the system of canals and ditches covering the whole province, the system of bringing water from Dau Tieng Lake across the Vam Co Dong River to serve the area west of the Vam Co River is considered a strong mark of the province's agricultural sector.

The irrigation project in the western area of ​​the Vam Co Dong River - phase 1 has been completed and put into use since the end of 2022. Accordingly, the project has provided water for about 3,137 hectares/crop (an increase of 2,037 hectares/crop compared to before the project implementation) in Chau Thanh and Ben Cau districts (the land is divided by the Vam Co Dong River); with a total length of nearly 120 km, the main canal system has brought water from Dau Tieng Lake to the border communes of these two districts.

The project helps people use water for farming by self-flowing method, helping to increase farming profits, serving the conversion of crop structure with high economic value, aquaculture associated with the irrigation system, contributing to improving the lives of local people and attracting investment in the province.

From a barren, wild land bordering Cambodia, this place has been replaced by lush green fields... covered in the green of crops, proving that life here has changed greatly thanks to the irrigation system.

The project also contributes to attracting investment in the province through supplying water to businesses: Hung Thinh Company Limited (about 1,287 hectares), Vietnam Dairy Cow One Member Co., Ltd. (Vinamilk) - Tay Ninh Dairy Farm (about 250 hectares), Thanh Thanh Cong Company (TTC) Tay Ninh - TTC Ben Cau Farm (about 150 hectares).

According to Mr. Nguyen Dinh Xuan - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, the industry's orientation in developing the irrigation system is to serve multiple purposes, apply digital technology in managing and operating the irrigation system; encourage advanced, water-saving irrigation models to improve the efficiency of water resource use and adapt to climate change.

Dau Tieng Reservoir is considered a “strategic resource” to achieve the goal of transforming the agricultural sector towards sustainability and high efficiency. The sector will focus on directing the inspection and supervision of activities within the protection scope of Dau Tieng reservoir works according to the provisions of law on irrigation, minerals and environment; well implementing the coordination regulations in the management, exploitation and protection of the Dau Tieng - Phuoc Hoa irrigation system to enhance the role and effectiveness of comprehensive exploitation to serve the multi-purpose of Dau Tieng reservoir.

At the same time, focus on completing and expanding the level 1, 2, 3 canal system to increase the proportion of actively irrigated area to over 85%, reducing dependence on weather. Continue to implement the irrigation project in the western area of ​​the Vam Co Dong River, phase 2, solidifying the main canal, level 1, 2, 3 canals and drainage canals.

Improve the quality of life of local people in Chau Thanh and Ben Cau districts and nearly the entire Tay Ninh land area benefiting from Dau Tieng Lake; create opportunities for the development of agriculture and industrial clusters and zones in Tay Ninh in a more comprehensive and breakthrough manner, in which the current irrigation planning is synchronized with traffic works in the direction of serving multiple purposes.

In the long term, the province's orientation is to exploit Dau Tieng Lake in a multi-purpose direction, ensuring agricultural production, developing eco-tourism, supplying water for urban areas, industry and protecting the environment, creating a driving force for comprehensive development for the province and surrounding areas.

Huynh Tan Hung