Taehwa River flows through the heart of Ulsan and flows into Ulsan Bay, which is connected to the East Sea. Taehwa River drains an area of nearly 644 km² and most of the watershed lies within Ulsan Metropolitan City, and part of the basin lies in the neighboring city, Gyeongju. The entire length of the river is 46 km. [Lithology] Ulsan has a variety of geologic resources, such as granite, enclaves, Daewang-am featured by erosion features, and Bangudae petroglyphs. In particular, granite and enclaves show well the volcanic activity that took place in the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula about 60 to 70 million years ago. Therefore, they are regarded as a heritage with outstanding academic value.
The Korea National Fishway Information System website provides comprehensive data on weir characteristics, location, and conditions in the Taehwa River. The mainstream and tributaries of the Taehwa River have 12 flow measuring points, 20 water quality measuring points, and 36 biological measuring points, and more than 30+ parameters such as BOD, TP, TN, and Chlorophy of water quality monitoring data were collected last 20 years.
Ulsan City is actively working to protect the native plants of the Taehwa River by eradicating harmful foreign plants and creating habitats for silver grass that naturally grows around the sewage treatment plant. This not only promotes the preservation of local flora but also provides a sanctuary for citizens to enjoy the beauty of nature.
The Taehwa River is home to over 700 species of flora and fauna, including 127 bird species and 64 fish species. Every year, salmon and other fish species return to the river, and fishways have been established to aid their migration. The Ulsan city government also monitors migratory bird movements and endeavors to secure habitats for them, utilizing wetlands and bamboo forests in the basin. It is also registered as East Asian-Australasian Flyway Network Site and Ulsan City is managing the site.
Social ecohydrological system
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Catchment Ecohydrological sub-system
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Catchment Sociological sub-system
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