Sameura Dam

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. 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 name	Sameura Dam
Country	Japan
Location	Motoyama and Tosa, Kōchi, Japan
Coordinates	33.756933°N 133.550125°E / 33.756933; 133.550125
Construction began	1963
Opening date	1975
Operator(s)	Japan Water Agency
Dam and spillways
Impounds	Yoshino River
Height	106 m
Length	400 m
Reservoir
Creates	Lake Sameura
Total capacity	316 ML
Catchment area	472 km2
Surface area	750 ha
Power Station
Installed capacity	42 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

• On October 14, 1994, a US Navy training plane, the Grumman A-6 Intruder, crashed near the reservoir. 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

• 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. Luckily, they could get over this crisis thanks to the heavy rain brought Typhoon Nabi.