Murdoch Macdonald

Years later, MacDonald noted that his early railway work included the design and construction of a small earthen dam and hydroelectric plant.

MacDonald's appointment as an assistant engineer during the building of this significant structure marked the beginning of a 23-year term of service in Egypt.

The Government was thus very soon faced with the problem of finding additional storage room to meet possible demands for the existing area, as well as making adequate provision for future extension.

A scheme for thickening and heightening the existing Aswan Dam was prepared by Benjamin Baker, and a great deal of the work involved was undertaken by MacDonald.

He also designed the Sennar Dam on the Blue Nile, and put into operation the first stages of the Gezira irrigation schemes for the conversion of virgin land in the Sudan for cotton growing.

MacDonald worked on the initial siting and design of Gebel Aulia Dam, which was built upstream in the Sudan, but also provided 4 billion cubic metres of regulated storage annually for irrigation downstream in Egypt.

About the same time, MacDonald was responsible for work undertaken to strengthen the Esna Barrage, and he advised on various schemes for land drainage and irrigation in Greece and Portugal.

After World War II, he was again consulted by the Government of Egypt about the Aswan Dam, and submitted a report advising that a third heightening was practicable,[1] though never carried out.

Several proposals were put forward, and he was asked to formulate a protection scheme in conjunction with the River Great Ouse Catchment Board.

For his service during the construction of the initial Aswan Low Dam he in 1902 received the 3rd class of the Ottoman Order of the Medjidie from the Khedive of Egypt.