Miboro Dam water level falls to 30% as Toyama faces possible irrigation limits

The water level in the Miboro Dam on the upper Shō River in northern Gifu Prefecture has dropped to about 30% of its normal volume, with forecasts that it could reach zero by mid‑August. The decline follows a warm winter with scant snowfall and below‑average rainfall in May–July.

A joint drought‑information meeting of ten agencies, including the Toyama River and Road Office, reported that the dam supplies agricultural irrigation water to roughly 12,000 hectares across six Toyama cities (Nanto, Tonami, Oyabe, Kurobe, Imizu and Toyama). If water withdrawals are restricted, it would be the first such measure since 1994, when the Gōguchi Dam imposed limits. The liaison group will decide on possible restrictions on August 6, after assessing conditions in the Shō River basin. Meanwhile, the Hayatsuki River at the border of Uozu and Namerikawa recorded a zero water level on August 4, underscoring the severity of the drought.