Akagawa

A river that flows through western Yamagata Prefecture. It is a first-class river. It is about 70.4 km long and has a drainage area of ​​856.7 square km. It originates from Otori Pond in the northern part of the Asahi Mountains, and flows north together with the Gassan River, known for its heavy snowfall, and the Bonji River, which has the Asahi Mountains as its catchment area, irrigating the grain-producing areas in the southern half of the Shonai Plain, before emptying into the Sea of ​​Japan in the southern part of Sakata City. Until the completion of the Shinkawakou Floodway (Nishiyama Shinkawa) excavated from the Shonai Sand Dunes in 1927 (Showa 2), it was the largest tributary of the Mogami River. Upstream, there are the Yakuwa Dam and Arasawa Dam, making it the largest power source area in the prefecture.

[Shige Nakagawa]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

山形県西部を流れる川。一級河川。延長約70.4キロメートル、流域面積856.7平方キロメートル。朝日山地北部の大鳥池に源を発し、豪雪地帯で知られる月山(がっさん)、朝日山地を集水域とする梵字(ぼんじ)川などをあわせて北流し、庄内(しょうない)平野南半の穀倉地帯を潤して酒田市南部で日本海に注ぐ。1927年（昭和2）庄内砂丘を掘削した新河口放水路（西山新川）が完成するまでは、最上川(もがみがわ)最大の支流であった。上流には八久和(やくわ)ダム、荒沢ダムなどがあり県内最大の電源地帯。

［中川　重］

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