Yubari River

This river flows through the southern part of the Sorachi Regional Subprefectural Bureau in central Hokkaido and joins the Ishikari River. It is 136 km long. In the upper reaches, the Shuparo River originating from Mt. Ashibetsu in the Yubari Mountains, the Penkemoyuparo River originating from Mt. Yubari, the Shirogane River, and other rivers join together to form the artificial Shuparo Lake. The river then joins the Shihoro-kabetsu River, which flows through Honcho, Yubari City, and flows south, leaving the mountains near Kawabata Dam and heading northwest, passing through the Yuniabira lowlands, entering the Ishikari Plain from the northern end of the Umaoi Hills, and joining the Ishikari River in Ebetsu City. In the Ishikari Plain, the river once flowed into the Chitose River and was a rough river that was prone to flooding, but now it is directly connected to the Ishikari River by a spillway, reducing the risk of flooding. The mountainous area in the upper reaches was developed into the coal mining area of ​​Yubari City, and the plains in the middle and lower reaches formed rice paddy areas and are used for power generation and irrigation.

[Ichiro Kashimura]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

北海道中央部、空知(そらち)総合振興局管内の南部を流れて石狩川(いしかりがわ)に合流する川。延長136キロメートル。上流では夕張山地の芦別(あしべつ)岳に発するシュウパロ川、夕張岳に発するペンケモユウパロ川、白金(しろがね)川などが合流するあたりに人造湖のシュウパロ湖をつくり、さらに夕張市本町(ほんちょう)を流れる志幌加別(しほろかべつ)川をあわせて南下、川端(かわばた)ダム付近から山地を出て北西に向かい、由仁安平(ゆにあびら)低地を経て、馬追(うまおい)丘陵北端から石狩平野に出、江別(えべつ)市で石狩川に合流する。石狩平野ではかつては千歳川(ちとせがわ)に合流し、水害の多い荒れ川であったが、いまは放水路で石狩川と直結して洪水の心配が減じた。上流域の山間は夕張市の炭鉱地帯として開け、中下流域の平野部は水田地帯を形成、電源、灌漑(かんがい)などに役だっている。

［柏村一郎］

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