Inukamigawa Dam

Overview

Inukamigawa Dam is a gravity concrete dam built on the Inukami River, which rises in the Suzuka mountains of Shiga Prefecture. It stands about 45 meters high with a crest length of roughly 135 meters. Completed in 1946, it has served as a multipurpose dam for agricultural irrigation and power generation. Its catchment area is about 31.2 square kilometers, and when full it impounds around 35 hectares of land, storing some 4.5 million cubic meters of water. Spreading a quiet reservoir among the hills, it supports the life of the surrounding region.

Highlights

• ●A gravity concrete dam about 45 meters high
• ●An imposing dam body with a crest around 135 meters long
• ●A multipurpose dam for irrigation and power
• ●Scenery of the upper Inukami River rising in the Suzuka range

History

Inukamigawa Dam was completed in 1946. Built in the years just after the war, this gravity concrete dam holds back the waters of the Inukami River, supplying irrigation water to nourish the fields downstream and generating power. About 45 meters high and 135 meters long at the crest, it gathers water from a catchment of 31.2 square kilometers and has long supported the region's agriculture and electricity supply.

Map

35.1708, 136.3392 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Drive from the Taga area up along the Inukami River
2. 2View the dam body and the surface of the reservoir
3. 3Enjoy the surrounding ridgelines of the Suzuka mountains and their nature
4. 4Stop by sights in Taga Town such as Taga Taisha shrine on the way back

Did you know?

💡 Inukamigawa Dam is a gravity concrete dam about 45 meters high and 135 meters long, whose structure holds back the water pressure through the sheer weight of its body. Its storage of some 4.5 million cubic meters has long supported downstream irrigation and power generation. The Inukami River, which gives the dam its name, is a clear stream rising in the Suzuka mountains.

Nearby spots