
1. Introduction
Okutadami
Dam was
constructed approximately
230km upstream of the
estuary of the
Tadami
River of the Agano
River
System which
drains
into the
Sea of Japan in Niigata ken. This
locality is in one
of the
heaviest
snowfall regions of
Japan
with
annual
snowfall
of about 20m and
annual average
precipitation
of about 2700mm.
Hydroelectric
dams;titizing
the
abundant
snowmelt
water
have been
constructed on the river in cascade
to the downstream
stretches.
and throush
effective
utilization
of heads;
one of the
greatest
power
source areas of the
country is constituted.
Okutadami Dam
is the
most
upstream
of
the dam group,
and together
with Tagokura Dam
(concrete
gravity
type,
crest
length 462m.
height 145m)
approximately
30km
downstream,
regulates
the flow condition of the Tadami
River. Okutadami,
hai a
maximum outout of
360MW,
annual
energy
production
of 524
Gwh, downstream benefit 318cwh,
and is one
of most
Drominenr
of the laree
dams
in
Jnpan.
2.
Topography
and
Geology
^
The damsite
comprises
a
steep V-shaped valley,
but from mid-height of the
slopes both
banks
become slightly
gentle.
Overburden
is
thin
and their distribution
is limited
at mid-heieht and above
at both banks.
The foundation
rock
of the damsite
is mainly
composed of
gabbro,
the
greater
part
of which
is cataclastic.
The catac-
lastic
gabbro
is brecciated
with
a low degree
of cementation, whil€ ordinary gabbro
is
cracky but
hard.
Siltstone
distributes
at the
right bank from
the vicinity of the dam axis to
the upstream
parr.
while
metagabbro
and ser-
pentine
are distributed
downstream
of the dam axis
and
within
the dam bed, with
slate locally
existing
surrounded by the
above.
The
siltstone
is
weak against weathering
and erosion, and
generally
is readily
softened.
CIay seams are well-
developed
in
the serPentine,
while
the metagabbro
has much cracks with
some of them
accompanied
by
clay seams. The
slate is
brecciated.
has numerous
cracks,
and is brittle
and easily broken into small fragments.
- _The
river
bed
consists
of gabbro
cataclastic
in
part,
but the degree
of cementation is
high.
Weathering
is prominent in
the
left-bank
cataclastic gabbro
and the
zone
of
poor
rock
at
the
ght
bank.
The siltstone
is weathered
and
relativelv soft.
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