"It Can Hold 470 Million Tons"… Reservoir Bottom Exposed

[Anchor]

The drought in the Honam region is just as severe. As reservoirs begin to dry up, farms in the area are also facing an emergency in securing agricultural water.

Reporter Hong Seung-yeon has the story.

[Reporter]

The bottom of Lake Okjeong, which supplies water to the Honam Plain, is fully exposed.

The ground is cracked like turtle shell, and weeds are thriving over it.

The waterways surrounding Bungeo Island, named for its resemblance to a crucian carp, have all dried up.

A suspension bridge is currently laid right above my head.

Normally submerged in water, this area has dried up due to the drought to the point where people can now walk across it.

Out of the 470 million tons of water the lake can hold, only 84 million tons remain.

That is at a level of 18%.

[Kim Young-mok / Manager of Operations, Seomjin River Dam Branch, K-water: Based on today, 43% is normal. In terms of water level, it is about 10 meters lower than in an average year.]

[Lee Dae-geun & Kim Mi-sun / Gunsan, North Jeolla Province: (Have you ever seen it this dry?) No, we haven't visited in a while, but I don't think I've ever seen it this dry.]

With a "severe" drought stage issued for the Seomjin River Dam, securing agricultural water has gone into an emergency.

Nearby fields and paddies entering their growth period have parched, dry soil.

[Choi Young-gu / Farmer: You could say that farming is ruined this year. Especially right now, it is the flowering season for beans and the heading season for rice. Water is needed so much at this time...]

The Korea Rural Community Corporation has brought out water pumps for the first time in 13 years.

As it has become difficult to supply water from the dam, water that has already been used is pumped back up and recycled for agricultural use.

[Lee Young-kwon / Head of Water Resources Management, Dongjin Branch, Korea Rural Community Corporation: To recycle it, we have installed water pumps and are pumping it. Because only about 70% of the amount that needs to be supplied is coming down...]

The situation is no different in South Jeolla Province and Gwangju.

The average water storage rate of Jangseong Lake is around 60%, but it currently lingers in the 26% range.

Crop damage is a major concern, but without rain, there are no viable measures.

The hearts of farmers looking at their crops are burning black day by day.

(Camera Reporter: Kim Nam-sung | Video Editor: Chae Chul-ho)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.