曲渕ダム

Completed in 1923, the Magaribuchi Dam stands as a testament to Fukuoka’s growth. This dam, nestled in the Sawara Ward of Fukuoka City, wasn’t just another infrastructure project. It was a symbol of a city on the rise. Magaribuchi Dam, Fukuoka’s first water supply dam, quenched the thirst of a burgeoning metropolis. The city was modernizing rapidly. Its population was exploding, industries were booming, and public health was improving. All of this demanded a reliable water source. Magaribuchi Dam, built on the Yato River, a tributary of the Muromi River, was the answer. Its gravity-style concrete structure, faced with granite, was a marvel of engineering. Initially, the dam stood at a height of 31.2 meters with a crest length of 142.7 meters. Its effective storage capacity was 1,422,000 cubic meters. But Fukuoka’s growth didn’t stop. The city continued to expand, and so did the need for water. Between 1931 and 1934, expansion work was undertaken, nearly doubling the dam’s effective storage capacity. This expansion also marked a national first. The leakage prevention work used a cement gun, a pioneering technique in Japan at the time. The dam, initially designed with a 6.06-meter elevation allowance for future population growth, has undergone further expansions and leakage prevention projects. It now stands at 45 meters tall with a crest length of 160.6 meters. It boasts an effective storage capacity of 2,368,000 cubic meters. Magaribuchi Dam continues to supply water to the people of Fukuoka. Its role in the city’s development has earned it national recognition. In 1985, it was selected by the Ministry of Health and Welfare as one of the “Top 100 Modern Waterworks”. More recently, in 2009, the city of Fukuoka designated it as a tangible cultural property. This recognition underscores its importance, not just as an engineering feat, but as a crucial part of Fukuoka’s history.