Fishermen in Upper Paro Lake Give Up Operations as Hwacheon Dam Opens Floodgates

"That stream flowing like a creek used to be a wide river where boats could travel. Fishermen here have reached a point where they have given up on their operations."

On June 27, Jo (68), a fisherman, lamented while pointing to the lakeshore that had turned into mudflats and grasslands at the Gongsudaegyo Bridge in Yanggu-eup, Yanggu-gun, located upstream of the Hwacheon Dam in Gangwon Province.

Jo and other local fishermen make their living through inland fisheries in the upper reaches of Paro Lake. However, since the dam opened its floodgates earlier this month, the water level has dropped so low that it has become difficult to even launch their fishing boats.

Heading toward Wolmyeong-ri, located further upstream, one could see fishing nets hanging limply from the hillsides.

These were fishing gears that had been set in the water to catch fish, but they were left exposed as the water level recently receded.

Although each net costs around 1 million won, it is difficult to even consider retrieving them because it is hard to bring boats close enough to the area.

On the lake bed, which has turned into mud, dead freshwater mussels can be seen.

Along the lakeshore, fishing boats and fishing platforms were left abandoned on the ground instead of in the water.

The pier near the Sangmuryong Suspension Bridge was filled with docked fishing boats.

This is because the lowered water level has made fishing itself nearly impossible.

According to the Han River Flood Control Office, the water level of Hwacheon Dam dropped by more than 5 meters, from 166.75 meters at noon on June 1 to 161.61 meters at noon on June 26.

During the same period, the water level of Soyanggang Dam decreased by about 1 meter, from 176.9 meters to 178.05 meters.

Kim (69), who operates a fishing site nearby, expressed his concern, saying, "June is the time when golden mandarin fish spawn in shallow water. If the water is drained this rapidly, the eggs will all dry up. It seems it will be hard to find any golden mandarin fish next year."

He added, "I cannot understand how they can carry out projects to release fry to protect inland fish stocks while simultaneously exposing the lake bed."

While they understand the necessity of national water management projects, they urged authorities to operate the dam with consideration for the situation of local fishermen.

Lee Jang-gil, head of the local fishing community, said, "Even if they have to open the floodgates, if they release the water slowly and notify the fishermen in advance, we could at least have time to retrieve our nets. Measures are needed for the sake of the fishermen as well as the inland ecosystem."

In response, the Hwacheon Hydroelectric Power Plant, operated by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, stated that the water level adjustment is a measure to prepare for the flood season.

A power plant official replied, "Claims that water is being drained rapidly are often based on subjective feelings rather than objective data. The target water level for the end of June over the past three years has been around 160 meters, which is similar to this year."

The official added, "To meet the flood control capacity, we plan to lower the water level to 160.07 meters in accordance with the guidelines of the Han River Flood Control Office. We ask for the fishermen's understanding regarding this policy of emptying the water reservoir slightly before the flood season."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.