The is located in

Toyama Toyama may refer to: Places and organizations * Toyama Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on the main Honshu island * Toyama, Toyama, the capital city of Toyama Prefecture * Toyama Station, the main station of Toyama, ...

Toyama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Toyama Prefecture has a population of 1,044,588 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,247.61 km2 (1,640.01 sq mi). Toyama Prefecture borders Ishikawa Prefecture to the ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

built upon the Wada River. The two bends in the middle of the dam is the most defining feature. The Arimine Lake is an

artificial lake A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

that was created by construction of the dam.

History

The tributaries of the

Jōganji River The is a river in Toyama Prefecture, Japan, that flows through the city of Toyama as well as the town of Tateyama. The river was previously referred to as the Nii River (新川 ''Nii-kawa''). Route The river originates in the Tateyama Mountains ...

were found to be very attractive for hydroelectric power in the early 20th century due to their high flow and mountainous geography. This caught the attention of the electric utility of the time, the Etchu Electric Power Company, and for the purpose of electricity built a dam on the

Wada River Wada or WADA may refer to: People * Wada (Japanese surname), a list of people of Japanese ancestry * Inuwa Wada (1917-2015), Nigerian politician * Mian Wada (died 1085), Islamic scholar born in what is now Pakistan * Tawar Umbi Wada (1957–2010 ...

. At around the same time the

was considering a dam for purposes of flood control and irrigation. Construction of a prefecture managed dam began before

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

but the start of the war halted construction. Later, the

Hokuriku Electric Power Company The Hokuriku Electric Power Company supplies power by a regulated monopoly to Toyama Prefecture, Ishikawa Prefecture, the northern part of Fukui Prefecture, and northwestern parts of Gifu Prefecture. It is often abbreviated within its area of ...

inherited the unfinished dam due to restructuring of the power companies. The plans changed to make the primary purpose of the dam electricity production and was finished in the 50s. It now contributes to electric power as well as irrigation and flood control.

References

Dams in Toyama Prefecture Gravity dams Hydroelectric power stations in Japan Dams completed in 1959 {{Japan-powerstation-stub

History

See also

References