Tenjogawa - Ceiling River

A river whose riverbed is higher than the surrounding plains. When levees are constructed in plains to prevent flooding and the river channel is stabilized, sedimentation progresses in the river channel between the levees, and the riverbed rises further in order to raise the levees to prevent flooding into the plains. Rivers with alluvial fans or mountainous areas with easily collapsible rocks behind them carry a heavy load, making it easy to create such artificial landforms. Good examples include the Joganji River in Toyama Prefecture, the Kusatsu River and the Aichi River in Shiga Prefecture, and the Yellow River in China, where the maximum relative height reaches 10 meters.

[Shigemi Takayama]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

河床の高さが周囲の平野面より高くなった川。平野部で洪水を防ぐ目的で堤防を建設し、河道を固定化すると堤防間の河道で堆積(たいせき)が進み、平野への氾濫(はんらん)を防ぐために堤防をかさ上げするためにさらに河床が高まる。扇状地や背後に崩れやすい岩石からなる山地を有する川は荷重が多く、このような人工的地形をつくりやすい。富山県の常願寺川、滋賀県の草津川と愛知(えち)川などは好例で、中国の黄河では最大比高が10メートルに達する。

［髙山茂美］

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