Abe River

This river originates at Abe Pass, north of Umegashima Onsen in Shizuoka City, and flows into Suruga Bay in the southern part of Shizuoka City. It is a first-class river. Its length is 51 kilometers, and its drainage basin area is 567 square kilometers. Its main tributaries are the Nakagouchi River, Ashikubo River, and Warashina River. The drainage basin is made up of geology such as the Setogawa Group and the Ryuso Group, and there are many faults and crushed zones, with the Oyakuzure near the source being a typical collapse area. In addition, because it is a rapid current, the various actions of the river are intense, resulting in a wide riverbed made of gravel, and the alluvial fan formed downstream is on which the Shizuoka city area sits. Because it is a rough river, flood control was carried out in the middle and lower reaches using staggered levees, including the Satsuma embankments, and new rice fields were developed. In terms of water use, underground water is taken as the source of Shizuoka City's water supply and the Shizuoka-Shizuoka Industrial Water Supply. Gravel from the riverbed was also collected as aggregate, but lowering of the riverbed became an issue. In the Edo period, people travelling along the Tokaido road had to ford the river. There were river meeting houses on both banks, and Kawagoe laborers were always on hand.

[Kitagawa Mitsuo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

静岡市梅ヶ島温泉北方の安倍峠(あべとうげ)に源をもち、静岡市街地南部で駿河湾(するがわん)に注ぐ川。一級河川。流路延長51キロメートル。流域面積567平方キロメートル。中河内(なかごうち)川、足久保(あしくぼ)川、藁科(わらしな)川などがおもな支流である。流域は瀬戸川層群、竜爪(りゅうそう)層群などの地質からなり、断層や破砕帯も多く、源流に近い大谷崩(おおやくずれ)は代表的な崩壊地。また、急流であるため河川の諸作用も激しく、砂礫(されき)からなる広い河原をみせ、下流に形成された扇状地には静岡市街地がのっている。荒れ川であるため、中・下流部では薩摩土手(さつまどて)をはじめ、雁行(がんこう)状の霞堤(かすみてい)による治水が進められ、新田集落が開かれた。利水面では静岡市の上水道、静清工業用水道(せいせいこうぎょうようすいどう)の水源として、伏流水が取水されている。河床の砂礫も骨材として採取されたが、河床低下が問題となった。江戸時代、東海道を旅する人は徒渉でこの川を渡った。両岸には川会所があり、川越人夫を常備していた。

［北川光雄］

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