Nakdonggang Basin Expands Drought Management to 4 Dams

Hapcheon Dam Managed at 'Caution' Level

Andong, Imha, and Yeongcheon Dams Enter 'Attention' Level

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoonjung Cho] The Ministry of Environment announced on the 18th that four out of 20 dams in the Nakdong River basin are being managed at drought stages.

Previously, Hapcheon Dam in Gyeongnam was being managed at the drought ‘Caution’ stage, and as of 4 p.m. on the same day, Andong Dam, Imha Dam, and Yeongcheon Dam in Gyeongbuk also entered the drought ‘Attention’ stage.

Last year, the Ministry of Environment managed eight dams in the Nakdong River basin?Unmun, Miryang, Andong, Imha, Yeongcheon, Hapcheon, Gunwi, and Yeoncho?at drought stages and implemented measures to stockpile dam water. Due to rainfall between June 21 and September 20, the flood season last year, dam storage levels increased, leading to the lifting of drought stages on September 13 of that year.

Afterward, Hapcheon Dam, which did not receive sufficient rainfall, saw its storage rate drop and re-entered the drought ‘Attention’ stage on November 22 last year, escalating to the ‘Caution’ stage on December 18.

Ministry of Environment. [Photo by Asia Economy DB]

In this situation, Andong Dam, Imha Dam, and Yeongcheon Dam also re-entered the drought ‘Attention’ stage about four months after the drought stages were lifted.

The Ministry of Environment has continuously analyzed and forecasted dam storage levels even after the drought stages were lifted in September last year, and in consultation with related agencies, proactively implemented measures to stockpile water for some dams expected to have low storage rates.

Yeongcheon Dam reduced the river maintenance water by 100%, cutting 40,000 tons per day starting from September 30 last year, and implemented measures such as reducing 192,000 tons per day, which is 74% of the set amount for improving the water quality of the Geumho River.

Andong Dam took measures from December 1 last year to reduce environmental improvement water by up to 43,000 tons per day.

Hapcheon Dam, which re-entered the drought stage earliest, took measures from December 1 last year to reduce environmental improvement water by up to 65,000 tons per day. Additionally, it entered the drought ‘Caution’ stage at 9 p.m. on December 18, and from the 19th, reduced river maintenance water by 100%, cutting 130,000 tons per day.

Namgang Dam, due to a decrease in storage rate, is expected to face difficulties in water intake for domestic and industrial use at some intake stations, and from December 1 last year, reduced river maintenance water by 80%, cutting 387,000 tons per day.

The Ministry of Environment initially expected Andong Dam, Imha Dam, and Yeongcheon Dam to enter the drought ‘Attention’ stage in December last year, but believes that these proactive measures and rainfall during the winter delayed the entry into drought stages.

The storage situation at Namgang Dam has also improved, and it is expected that the dam water level will not drop to a level that restricts water intake for the time being.

Son Okju, Director of Water Resources Policy at the Ministry of Environment, said, “The drought situation in the southern region is expanding from the Yeongsan River and Seomjin River basins to the Nakdong River basin,” adding, “We will do our best to respond proactively to drought to ensure there is no disruption in water supply from dams in the Nakdong River basin.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.