Muda River

Muda River
Map
Native nameSungai Muda (Malay)
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationUlu Muda, Sik District, Kedah
Mouth 
 • location
Sungai Petani/Kuala Muda, into the Straits of Malacca
 • elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Length203 km (126 mi)
Basin size4,302 km2 (1,661 sq mi)[2]
Discharge 
 • average105 m3/s (3,700 cu ft/s)[1]
Basin features
PopulationTowns and settlements along the river basin Sik
Kuala Ketil
Kepala Batas (Penang)
Sungai Petani
Kota Kuala Muda
Tributaries 
 • leftKetil River; Sedim River

The Muda River (Malay: Sungai Muda) is the longest river in Kedah, Malaysia.

Course

Sourced in Ulu Muda Forest in Sik region in northeastern Kedah, along the border with Thailand, the river meets the water needs of the states of Kedah and Penang. The river flows through much of Sik region, then entering the Baling region where it meets with the Ketil river, a left-bank tributary, at Kuala Ketil.

It then flows westward, passing through the southern suburbs of Kedah's second largest city Sungai Petani, and forming the natural boundary between Kuala Muda District and North Seberang Perai District on the Penangite side. The Muda river then empties into the Straits of Malacca at Kota Kuala Muda (Kuala Muda meaning lower Muda, or the estuary of the Muda river in Malay).

Towns and settlements along the river basin

Infrastructure

The Beris Dam, which was completed in 2004 at a cost of RM360 million, is used to regulate the flow of water along the Muda River basin to augment water available for irrigation of paddy or upland crops, for domestic and industrial water supply and other uses.

Climatology

The Muda River Basin received an annual precipitation of 2,160 to 2,000 mm (85 to 79 in) a year from 1985 to 2015. Mean monthly maximum (Tmax) and minimum (Tmin) temperature at the Ampangan Muda station ranged from 30.9 to 34.5 °C (87.6 to 94.1 °F) and 21 to 23.5 °C (69.8 to 74.3 °F), respectively.[3]

Hydrology

During the monsoon season the rain can lead to heavy flooding. On 6 October 2003, the discharge at Landang Victoria River gauging station was 1340 m3/s.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ Pierre Y. Julien; Aminuddin Ab. Ghani; Nor Azazi Zakaria; Rozi Abdullah; Chang Chun Kiat; Rosmaliza Ramli; Joseph Dinor; Asnol Adzhan Abd. Manap; Mohd Fazly Yusof (September 2006). Design Option of the Flood Mitigation Plan of Sg. Muda, Sungai Muda, Kedah (PDF) (Draft final report). Pusat Penyelidikan Kejuruteraan Sungai dan Saliran Bandar. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  2. ^ Lee, K. F. (June 2009). A Background Study: Economic Benefits of the Muda Water Catchment (PDF) (Report). World Wide Fund for Nature. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  3. ^ Tan, Mou Leong; Samat, Narimah; Chan, Ngai Weng; Lee, Anisah Jessica; Li, Cheng (2019). "Analysis of Precipitation and Temperature Extremes over the Muda River Basin, Malaysia". Water. 11 (2). Article 283. doi:10.3390/w11020283.
  4. ^ Julien, P. Y.; Ghani, A. Ab.; Zakaria, N. A.; Abdullah, R.; Chang, C. K. (2010). "Case Study: Flood Mitigation of the Muda River, Malaysia" (PDF). Journal of Hydraulic Engineering. 136 (4): 251–261. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0000163. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.

5°34′N 100°20′E / 5.567°N 100.333°E / 5.567; 100.333