Shintsuruko Dam

Overview

Shintsuruko Dam is a rockfill dam built on the Niu River of the Mogami River system in Obanazawa, Yamagata Prefecture. Rising 96 meters, it ranks among the largest irrigation dams directly managed by the Tohoku Regional Agricultural Administration Office of Japan's Ministry of Agriculture. Beyond irrigation it also supports hydropower run by Yamagata Prefecture's enterprise bureau, and the reservoir it created has been named Heisei Lake.

Highlights

• ●A grand 96-meter rockfill dam
• ●Among the largest irrigation dams directly managed by the Ministry of Agriculture
• ●Heisei Lake, the reservoir named after the era of its completion
• ●A multifaceted role combining irrigation and hydropower

History

Construction of Shintsuruko Dam began in 1972 and was completed in 1990. Planned as an irrigation dam under the direct management of the Ministry of Agriculture, it stores the waters of the Niu River to supply extensive farmland. Its catchment area covers about 56 square kilometers, and at full capacity the reservoir spreads across roughly 125 hectares, holding some 31.5 million cubic meters of water. The reservoir was named Heisei Lake after the era in which the dam was completed.

Map

38.5325, 140.5194 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Head from central Obanazawa into the mountains of the Niu River basin
2. 2Tour the Shintsuruko Dam embankment and sense its scale
3. 3Enjoy the nature along the shores of the man-made Heisei Lake
4. 4Round off the trip with sightseeing around Obanazawa

Did you know?

💡 As a rockfill dam built by piling up rock and earth, its 96-meter height is substantial, ranking among the largest of the Ministry of Agriculture's directly managed dams. The reservoir's name, Heisei Lake, honors 1990, the Heisei-era year of its completion, making it a rare man-made lake bearing the name of an era.

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