0820-Koyadaira Dam

Date of interview: 06/16/2013 (Sun.)

Following the Dashidaira Dam, we will take the Kurobe Gorge Railway to Zelkova.

Kurobegawa No.2 Power Station, Meguro Bridge, Kansai Electric Power Co.

A short distance after passing the Dashihira Dam, you will see a large white building on your right. This is the Kurobe River No. 2 Power Plant, where water taken from the Koyadaira Dam, which we are about to visit, is pumped to this location, producing a maximum of 72,000 kW of electricity.

The power plant building, which is also a Heritage of Industrial Modernization, was designed by Yamaguchi Bunsho, a master of modernist architecture who was also involved in the design of the Koyadaira Dam. The bridge extending from the right to the power station building is called the Meguro Bridge, which is said to be of the Fehrendiel + upper plate girder type.

A track branched from Nekomata Station is laid on the bridge and is used to bring in materials to the power plant.

But still, the fresh greenery, the red iron bridge, and the chalky white power plant buildings. This wonderful fusion of trinity is a landscape that should be preserved forever.

Incidentally, there was an intake weir called the Nekomata Weir under the Meguro Bridge, but it was buried by a large amount of earth and sand due to the torrential rainfall in July 1995. The gate of the Nekomata weir was a rolling gate, but it was removed after this torrential rain.

Koyadaira Dam gradually coming into view

The Kurobe Gorge Railway continues upstream. Then the Koyadaira Dam came into view.

Koyadaira Dam getting even closer.

The exciting and thrilling Koyadaira Dam.

View of the downstream face of the embankment of the Koyadaira Dam from Koyadaira Station

The train stopped at Koyadaira Station. Unfortunately, however, passengers cannot get off at Koyadaira Station because it is a dedicated station for Kansai Electric Power Co. Because the Kurobe Gorge Railway is a single-track line, this stop is due to the train passing by the train from Zelkova. The time when the train stops is the shutter chance of Koyadaira Dam! While riding the train, you can capture the brave sight of the Koyadaira Dam with your camera & watch it. If possible, I would like to go up to that fence to see the whole body of the Koyadaira Dam.

View of the gate area of Koyadaira Dam from Koyadaira Station

The crest gate of the Koyadaira Dam is a shell structure roller gate that is pulled up at an angle. The gate of the Senjidani Dam upstream also has the same structure.

View of the upstream face of the embankment of the Koyadaira Dam from the left bank

Departing from Koyadaira Station, we look at the upstream face of the embankment. The emerald green water of the Kurobe River is very beautiful.

View of the reservoir and the upstream face of the embankment from the left bank

After a walk around the Zelkova Plain area, we returned to Unazuki Onsen again. It was sunny in the morning, but it quickly became cloudy. It is indeed mountain weather. Even so, the composting sand is amazing.

Winter trail?

A concrete structure, probably a winter trail, is visible.

Upstream side sluice gate and left bank of Koyadaira Dam

There is this huge structure at the dam site of the Koyadaira Dam. It contains a sluice gate so that it can operate normally even in heavy snowfall, but it is so huge that it stands out more than the Koyadaira Dam in the back. Between the flood control gate and the embankment, you can also see the railway line that branches off from the Koyadaira Station.

sedimentation basin

As mentioned above, the reservoir is heavily sedimented, so there seems to be a small amount of sediment inflow from the intake, and a sedimentation basin has been installed under this concrete-covered square-like space. Stones are placed at equal intervals in the front and the back, but is it just a design?

Downstream sluice gate

There is also a flood control gate on the downstream side, but this one is one size smaller than the upstream one. Even so, it is surprisingly huge when seen from the trolley car. Still, I wonder what kind of gates are stored and how they are maintained.

Further downstream face of the downstream sluice gate

Is it assumed that gate exchange will not take place...?

View of Koyadaira Dam from Koyadaira Station

We are back at Koyadaira Station. The Koyadaira Dam can be seen through the trees.

Koyadaira Dam from Koyadaira Station

In the spirit of "a few shots with a bad gun don't hurt you," I clicked the shutter over and over again. I know you might say, "You saw it on the way out, too," but that's just it.

View of Koyadaira Dam from Koyadaira Station

I resist the urge to jump down and get to that fence right now.

Stops on the return trip

On the return trip, the train stopped at Koyadaira Station due to a difference with an oncoming train. Depending on the schedule, the train might pass by without stopping, so I was glad to be able to see the Ishikoya Dam from a distance for a short time on both the outbound and inbound routes.

If possible, I would like to view the Koyadaira Dam at close range, but I would really like to have a tour here. The so-called Kurobe Route, which includes the KEPCO Kurobe Dedicated Railway from Zelkidaira Station to Kurobe Dam (Toyama), can only be visited by participating in the "Kurobe Route Tour," where visitors are selected by lottery, but they are aiming to open the route to the public as a tourist route by 2024.

It would be even better if we could use this opportunity to easily visit the Dashihei Dam, Koyadaira Dam, and Senjidani Dam.

Koyadaira Dam Video

We also filmed a video and put it together. The way I shot it is very crude, but I hope you can at least feel the atmosphere of a dam visit while riding the train.

Koyadaira Dam Specifications

Other facilities/observations

Map around Koyadaira Dam

Weather around Koyadaira Dam

Accommodations that may be close to Koyadaira Dam