Arakawa River (Fukushima)

The name Arakawa comes from the river long being known as an abaregawa (暴れ川), meaning a river that floods often. Due these floodings, the Arakawa River has changed its course multiple times. The Ōmori River, now a tributary of the Arakawa River, currently flows in the former main riverbed of the Arakawa River.

The Arakawa River's steep descent in the Tsuchiyu Onsen area formerly caused multiple earth and rock slides. To prevent further damage, in 1900 Fukushima Prefecture began flood control construction on the river, and in 1936 the country took over and began construction of the Arakawa First Check Dam (荒川第一砂防堰堤, Arakawa Daiichi Sabō Entei). The construction proved ineffective, and the river continued to periodically flood, culminating in a large-scale flood on August 5, 1986.

In 2004 the Arakawa River's flood control system was completely overhauled, and 13 new check dams were built along the main river and numerous other dams built on its tributaries.

In 2008 the Agency for Cultural Affairs designated the Arakawa First Check Dam as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.

In 2007 the Arakawa River tied with six other rivers for having the best quality river water in country based on biochemical oxygen demand tests conducted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. For four years in a row, from 2004 to 2007, the Arakawa River ranked first in water quality among rivers in the Tōhoku region.

• The information in this article is based on that in its Japanese equivalent.

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