Gongsan Dam
| Gongsan Dam | |
|---|---|
 Gongsan Dam in 2019 | |
  Gongsan Dam Location of Gongsan Dam in South Korea | |
| Official name | 공산댐 (Gongsan Daem) |
| Country | South Korea |
| Location | Jimyo-dong, Dong-gu, Daegu |
| Coordinates | 35°56′35″N 128°38′56″E / 35.9431°N 128.6489°E |
| Purpose | Water supply |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1979 |
| Opening date | 1981 |
| Owner | Daegu Metropolitan City |
| Operator | Daegu Metropolitan City Waterworks Headquarters |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Rockfill dam |
| Impounds | Donghwacheon (동화천) |
| Length | 239 m (784 ft) |
| Elevation at crest | 101.2 m (332 ft) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Gongsanji (공산지) or Gongsanho (공산호) |
| Total capacity | 5.5×106 m3 (4,500 acre⋅ft) |
| Active capacity | 4.5×106 m3 (3,600 acre⋅ft) |
| Catchment area | 60.3 km2 (23.3 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 0.380 km2 (94 acres) |
| Normal elevation | 96.0 m (315.0 ft) |
| Gongsan Purification Plant (공산정수장) | |
| Operator | Daegu Metropolitan City Waterworks Headquarters |
| Commission date | 1982 |
| Installed capacity | 40,000 to 55,000 m3/d (1,400,000 to 1,900,000 cu ft/d) |
| Gongsan Dam | |
| Hangul | 공산댐 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 公山댐 |
| RR | Gongsan daem |
| MR | Kongsan taem |
Gongsan Dam is a rockfill dam in Jimyo-dong, Dong-gu, Daegu, South Korea.[1]< Built across the Donghwacheon (동화천) stream flowing south from Palgongsan, the dam creates a reservoir locally known as Gongsanji (공산지) or Gongsanho (공산호). It is a municipal asset owned and operated by the Daegu Metropolitan City Waterworks Headquarters.[2]
The dam's primary purpose is to impound water for the Gongsan Purification Plant (공산정수장), which secures the water supply for several districts in northern Daegu (Buk-gu).[1]
History
Construction
The dam's construction began in 1979 and was completed in 1981.[3] The associated Gongsan Purification Plant began construction in September 1982, with an initial installed capacity of 50,000 cubic meters per day.[2]
Role in Daegu's water security
While a modest contributor to Daegu's total water supply (providing approximately 1.8% to 6% of the city's water), the dam is considered a critical contingency asset.[1][2] The city maintains it as an "insurance policy"—a high-quality, low-cost, and protected backup source, diversified from the main Nakdong River supply, which is more vulnerable to industrial pollution, particularly after the 1991 Phenol Incident.[2]
Daegu's tap water comes from four main sources: the Nakdong River (73%), Unmun Dam (21%), and Gachang Dam and Gongsan Dam (6% combined).[1]
Water Source Protection Zone conflict
In January 1983, the Daegu city government designated a 9.5 km² area around the dam and its upstream catchment as a "Water Source Protection Zone" (상수원보호구역).[2] This designation severely restricted all new construction, renovation, and commercial activity (such as restaurants and cafes) for approximately 520 households across ten neighborhoods, including Jimyo-dong, Midae-dong, and Baegan-dong, to protect water quality.[2]
This action initiated a 33-year socio-political conflict with local residents and landowners. The residents argued that the restrictions caused significant economic stagnation, population decline (approximately 100 people per year), and an unjust infringement on private property rights, all for a dam that provided a minimal percentage of the city's water.[2]
For decades, the city government held its position, arguing that the dam's value as a non-negotiable emergency backup for the entire city's water security outweighed the localized restrictions.[2]
2016 resolution
The stalemate was broken in 2016. On April 15, 2016, the Ministry of Environment approved Daegu's plan, and by October 2016, the city officially removed 6 km², or 63% of the restricted area, from the protection zone.[2] This immediately restored property and development rights to over 500 of the 520 affected households.[2]
This political resolution was made possible by a long-term "technological fix." From 1994 to 2018, the city invested 23.8 billion won (approximately US$20 million) in a two-phase infrastructure project:[2]
- Phase 1 (1994–2006): Installation of wastewater interception pipes (오수차집관로) at a cost of 12.8 billion won
- Phase 2 (2015–2018): Installation of modern sewage pipes (오수관거) in Baegan-dong and Midae-dong at a cost of 11 billion won (30% national, 70% municipal funding)
This comprehensive network of wastewater interception and sewage pipes actively captured and diverted wastewater from the area, protecting the reservoir's water quality. By engineering a solution to pollution, the city no longer needed to rely on the passive, prohibitive development ban, thus resolving the conflict by satisfying both water security and private property rights.[2]
Technical specifications
Gongsan Dam is a rockfill type structure with the following specifications:[3][2]
- Dam type: Rockfill dam
- Dam length: 239 meters
- Dam crest elevation: 101.2 meters above sea level
- Catchment area: 60.3 km²
- Total reservoir capacity: 5.5 million m³
- Effective reservoir capacity: 4.5 million m³
- Reservoir surface area: 0.380 km²
- Full water level: 96.0 meters above sea level
See also
- List of South Korean dams and reservoirs
- Category:Dams in South Korea
- Palgongsan
- Nakdong River
- Daegu
References
- ^ a b c d "Water Source". Waterworks Headquarters Daegu Metropolitan City. Retrieved 2025-11-18.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Gongsan Dam: An Infrastructural and Socio-Political Analysis (Report). 2025.
- ^ a b "Dam Information" (in Korean). Korea National Committee on Large Dams. Retrieved 2025-11-18.
External links
- Daegu Metropolitan City Waterworks Headquarters (in Korean)