Tac Thu boat lock is sited at the confluence of Ong Doc River and Trem River at the border between Khanh An Commune of U Minh District and Ho Thi Ky Commune of Thoi Binh District (Ca Mau Province). It was built by the Transport Ministry for a cost of VND80 billion (US$3.4 million) and came into operation in 2006. Due to the inconsistent construction of a salinity control system in the West Coast and Ninh Quoi boat lock, Tac Thu boat lock could not work as expected, greatly annoying the community there.
The project area is now deserted, surrounded by wild trees and weeds. In addition, a lack of regular maintenance completely destroys the gates at this boat lock while other structures are seriously degraded. Although the lock is on the main water route of Ca Mau Province to neighboring areas, there are many difficulties for boats to use the lock, especially at low tide, as its channel is too narrow (a width of only 14m) and shallow.
Recently, Ca Mau Province has received investments for many irrigation works; yet as these projects are of a small scale, the control of the salinity level here is not at all effective, severely affecting rice crops and daily acitivites of local people.
When properly revived, Tac Thu boat lock can work synchronously with Cai Lon – Cai Be sluice gate, An Bien – An Minh sluice gate, and Quan Lo – Phung Hiep salinity control system to regulate the water source for the South of Cai Lon River and the North of Ca Mau Province to serve agricultural activities on a surface area of around 75,000ha in the two districts of U Minh and Thoi Binh (Ca Mau Province), Vinh Thuan District (Kien Giang Province).
Theses irrigation works can also reduce flooding and supply low-saline water for aquacultural activities in the dry season on a surface area of 120,000ha in Thoi Binh District and Ca Mau City (Ca Mau Province), Phuoc Long District, Gia Rai Town (Bac Lieu Province), Vinh Thuan District (Kien Giang Province).
Head of the Ca Mau Province Irrigation Department Nguyen Long Hoai voiced the support of the locality for this important project. He mentioned the necessity for a consistent construction and synchronous operation of Tac Thu boat lock with other irrigation works in order to provide sufficient freshwater for effective shrimp raising activities in the North of Ca Mau Province. These works are also supposed to deliver freshwater for crops in the second and third zones in the dry seasons.
The scale of this reviving project includes expanding the gate, repairing damaged structures and building one new boat lock, developing corresponding facilities from Tac Thu boat lock to Ca Mau sluice gate. In the end, this boat lock will work with Cai Lon – Cai Be sluice gate to regulate water for the South of Cai Lon River and the North of Ca Mau Province successfully.
The reviving project will be done in 4 years, invested by the Irrigation Construction and Investment No.10 Management Board with an estimated cost of VND715 billion ($30.4 million).
At present, the Transport Ministry is carrying out the procedure to transfer this boat lock to the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry for the project to launch.
