As rainfall continues to be scarce in the southern regions, the drought response levels for the Milyang Dam in the Nakdong River area and the Pyeongrim Dam in the Yeongsan River area have been elevated. The government plans to secure alternative water sources by utilizing river water and nearby agricultural reservoirs, while also adjusting the supply of agricultural and river maintenance water.
The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced on August 2 that the drought response level for the Milyang Dam has been raised from 'caution' to 'alert,' while the Pyeongrim Dam has been elevated from 'interest' to 'caution.'
The Milyang Dam entered the 'interest' stage on June 1 and the 'caution' stage on June 10, and has now reached the 'alert' stage in just under two months.
This year, the cumulative rainfall in the Milyang Dam basin has reached 447 mm, only 52% of the average. Notably, since the flood season began on June 21, rainfall has been just 50 mm, or 12% of the average. Currently, the reservoir holds 24.59 million tons of water, with a storage rate of 33%, which is 52% of the average reservoir level.
The Milyang Dam is a key water source supplying water to the cities of Yangsan and Milyang, as well as Changnyeong County. The government plans to replace 8,000 tons of daily water supply for domestic and industrial use from the Milyang Dam to river water from the Milyang River and Nakdong River. For agricultural water, the government intends to reduce the supply by up to 91,000 tons per day, taking into account actual monthly usage, rainfall, and downstream river conditions.
Since the Milyang Dam entered the 'caution' stage on June 10, the government has already reduced the agricultural water supply from 91,000 tons to 67,000 tons per day. The supply of river maintenance water has also been cut by 26,000 tons per day, managing the total water supply to around 194,000 tons per day.
The Pyeongrim Dam, located in Jangseong County, Gwangju, has also been elevated to 'caution' about a month after entering the 'interest' stage on July 8.
This year, the cumulative rainfall in the Pyeongrim Dam basin has been 525 mm, which is only 64% of the average. Currently, the reservoir holds 5.66 million tons of water, with a storage rate of 55%, which is 89% of the average reservoir level. The Pyeongrim Dam supplies domestic, industrial, and agricultural water to the counties of Yeonggwang, Damyang, Jangseong, and Hampyeong.
In anticipation of the drought stage elevation for the Pyeongrim Dam, the government has proactively stored up to 15,000 tons of water in coordination with the agricultural reservoir Suyangje, managed by the Korea Rural Community Corporation, since July 24. The amount of water stored will vary depending on the reservoir conditions of Suyangje.
With the entry into the 'caution' stage, the supply of river maintenance water will be reduced by up to 4,000 tons per day, and agricultural water will also be reduced by up to 4,000 tons per day, considering actual monthly usage. The Ministry of Climate expects that even if the drought worsens, it will be able to stably supply the necessary water this year through securing alternative sources and reducing water supply.
Song Ho-seok, the water resource policy director at the Ministry of Climate, stated, "Recent rainfall has shown significant regional disparities, leading to simultaneous occurrences of floods and droughts. We will do our best to minimize drought damage in the southern regions while preparing for flood damage."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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