The Sameura Dam (早明浦ダム Sameura-damu) is a dam on the Yoshino River on the island of Shikoku, Japan, completed in 1975.[1] It has the largest storage capacity in Shikoku. The dam holds back a reservoir, named Lake Sameura (さめうら湖 Sameura-ko)

Sameura Dam
Sameura Dam
Official nameSameura Dam
CountryJapan
LocationMotoyama and Tosa, Kōchi, Japan
Coordinates33°45′25″N 133°33′00″E / 33.756933°N 133.550125°E / 33.756933; 133.550125
Construction began1963
Opening date1975
Operator(s)Japan Water Agency
Dam and spillways
ImpoundsYoshino River
Height106 m
Length400 m
Reservoir
CreatesLake Sameura
Total capacity316 ML
Catchment area472 km2
Surface area750 ha
Power Station
Installed capacity42 MW

The dam is used for flood control, a source of irrigation, and provides tap water to surrounding areas. It also produces electricity using hydropower. The plant can generate 42 MW.

1994 Grumman A-6 Intruder Incident

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  • On October 14, 1994, a US Navy training plane, the Grumman A-6 Intruder, crashed near the reservoir.[2] The A-6 Intruder took off from NAF Atsugi in Kanagawa Prefecture, and was headed towards MCAS Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The plane crashed on a low-level flight following a river when it got to a bend and couldn't get out. The wing sliced into the water upon a reverse. Both pilots, Lt. Eric A. Hamm and B/N John J. Dunne, Jr., were killed in the crash.

Water Supply Crisis of 2005

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  • The Sameura Dam supplies water to Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture and Tokushima Prefecture. In 2005, because of little rainfall and a series of dry spells from April to June, the Shikoku Region was hit by a very serious drought and Lake Sameura dried up twice.[3] Luckily, they could get over this crisis thanks to the heavy rain brought Typhoon Nabi.

References

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  1. ^ "Visit Kochi Japan│The blessings of nature". Visit Kochi Japan. Retrieved 2017-02-10.
  2. ^ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident 14-OCT-1994 Grumman A-6E Intruder 162188". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 2017-02-10.
  3. ^ "Annual Report of Japan Water Agency (JWA) 2005" (PDF). narbo.jp. Retrieved 27 April 2023.