[1] It has the water catchment area of 3.9 km2 (1.5 sq mi) and a gross storage capacity of 23.6 billion litres (5.2×109 imp gal; 6.2×109 US gal), making it the largest dam in Penang, almost 10 times the capacity of the Ayer Itam Dam.

[1] Mengkuang Dam closed to the public from August 1, 2011, until July 31, 2016, for enlargement and renovation.

[2] The US$200 million enlargement includes increasing the height of the dam by 11 m (36 ft) and its length 1.7 km (1.1 mi) to the west.

Mengkuang Dam is also one of the venues for the annual Penang International Dragon Boat Festival.

The ornate and painted 'dragons' on the boats' prows add to the gaiety of the festival.