Ashibetsu Dam

After the Second world war, the comprehensive Ishikari River system development plan in Hokkaido was started by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in parallel with the electric power generation project. The Ikushunbetsu River and Ashibetsu Rivers were targeted within the scope of the electric power generation project which led to the creation of the dams. The Ashibetsu Dam is the smallest of the dams of the Ishikari River system. It is the it is only multipurpose dam for irrigation, water supply and electricity generation without Flood control aside from the Sarutani Dam located in Nara Prefecture.

Ashibetsu Lake is an artificial lake which rests quietly surrounded by a Virgin forest. In recent years, Ashibetsu Lake has become increasingly Sedimented. In dedicated electricity producing dams, the water intake amount is not affected by the sedimentation, however where there is a flood control mechanism, sedimentation becomes a problem. The sedimentation rate of the Ashibetsu Dam is approximately 79.8%, which is the highest for any multi-purpose dams. Since the Ashibetsu Dam does not have a flood control mechanism, the rate of sedimentation is not an issue[2]