Weirs to be removed from Tancheon 

                                                                                         by Grace Hyunjoo Lee

Tancheon, a stream flowing from South of Seoul to join Hangang in the Western part of Seoul, is fettered with weirs built for irrigation for agriculture in the surrounding region, seemingly without enough consideration about their effects.  With rapid urbanization around Tancheon, those weirs are no longer in use; the weirs are hindering the migration of river wildlife and are causing stench due to slow water flow.

Tancheon was selected by the Department of Environment for a pilot project in an effort to restore the ecology of the stream, and 11 weirs are planned to be removed within this year. The stream is expected to regain natural characteristics when the weirs are demolished. When the project is complete, people will be able to visit and enjoy Tancheon in a more natural condition.

I think building dams and weirs is not a bad idea, considering that they are helpful for generation of hydroelectricity, irrigation, and prevention of flood. However, to keep ecological conditions of the streams and rivers as natural as possible, it would be ideal to create dams and weirs that keep the water flow fast and that do not prevent migration of fish.

    ​​“탄천 악취 줄고 맑아진다…탄천 내 '고정보' 철거 본격화.” 한국일보, 9 Feb. 2022, https://www.hankookilbo.com/News/Read/A2022020915220000103?did=DA.