70mm of Rain Falls, Water Levels Rise by 1.6m
[Edaily Reporter Kim Eun-kyung] The drought-stricken Gangneung area in Gangwon Province experienced heavy rainfall on the 17th, leading to a recovery in the water level at the Obong Reservoir, reaching 20% for the first time in about a month.
According to the Korea Rural Community Corporation’s Integrated Information System for Rural Water, as of 9:30 PM, the reservoir’s water level was recorded at 20.4%. The level had dropped from 21% on August 20 to 19.9% the next day and has now recovered for the first time in about a month.
The Gangwon Regional Meteorological Administration reported that rainfall in areas influencing the Obong Reservoir included 78.5mm at Dalmokjae, 72.5mm at Doma, 60mm at Obongjiso, and 52.5mm at Wangsan.
The heavy afternoon rain increased the water level by 3.7 percentage points from the previous day’s 16.6%, but it still falls significantly short of the average of 71.8%.
The Obong Reservoir, which supplies 87% of Gangneung’s domestic water, had previously seen its water level drop to a record low of 11.6% on the 12th. However, with the rain on the 13th and again on the 17th, the water level has shown an upward trend.
With consecutive days of rainfall, less water has been absorbed into the ground, leading to increased inflow into the reservoir and contributing to the rise in water levels.
The heavy rain and wind on the day brought the water level of Obong Reservoir up by about 1.6 meters from the previous day, reaching 102.95 meters, which is noticeably higher than the shrinking minimum level of 92.50 meters.
Amid the severe drought in the Gangneung area, some citizens held rain-calling ceremonies. On the 11th, the Anmok Fishing Community held a ritual on the Anmok Solbaram Bridge, praying for heavy rain and offering a ceremony to the Sea King of the East Sea.
They had previously released a notice for the rain-calling ceremony, expressing, “Recently, this village has suffered from lack of rain, the sky is dry and losing its blue, the mountains are cracked by the wind, the riverbed is exposed, and wells are lacking water. We earnestly hope the Sea King of the East Sea receives our sincere offerings and hears the earnest prayers of all Gangneung citizens.”