Shō River 庄川 |
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Shō River in Tonami, Toyama Prefecture
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Country | Japan |
Basin features | |
Main source |
Mount Eboshi 1,625 m (5,331 ft) |
River mouth | Toyama Bay |
River system | Shōnai River |
Basin size | 1,180 km2 (460 sq mi) |
Physical characteristics | |
Length | 115 km (71 mi) |
Discharge |
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The Shō River (庄川 Shō-gawa?) has its source in Mount Eboshi (烏帽子岳 Eboshigatake) in the Shōkawa-chō area of Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. After flowing for 115 km (71 mi) through the northern part of Gifu Prefecture and the western part of Toyama Prefecture, it empties into Toyama Bay.
The river passes through or forms the boundary of the communities listed below. The area through which the river flows in Gifu is referred to as Shirakawa-gō, while the area in Toyama is referred to as Gokayama. Both areas are UNESCO World Heritage Sites because of their gasshō-zukuri houses.
The river is extensively developed for water storage, flood control and hydroelectric power generation. There are 16 major dams in the basin, seven of them are on tributaries. The major dams collectively have an installed power generation capacity of 926 MW. Six other small hydroelectric plants total 30.6 MW in installed capacity. The 22 hydroelectric power stations in the Shō River basin have an installed capacity of 956.6 MW. The 16 major dams are listed below in order from downstream to upstream.
Toyama
Toyama/Gifu:
Gifu:
36°47′23″N 137°04′36″E / 36.789817°N 137.076694°ECoordinates: 36°47′23″N 137°04′36″E / 36.789817°N 137.076694°E (confluence with Ibi River)