Stair-stream of Ushibusegawa 3

Calmness and Steepness

The stone-paved stream has managed to let the nature be gentle anyhow. It has brought some peaceful circumstance based on the fragile balance. If people lacked for carefulness, the power of the nature would easily break teir devices and constructions.
Its brutal threat and gentle beauty are next to each other and come out by turns.

▲A distant view of Northern Alps mountains over the dam-lake :
Jonendake at the center and Yarigatake on the left side

■From Stair-Stream to Dam-Lake■

▲Walking along the stream is joyful. We would feel the brutlity of the nature at the headstrem zone on the steep ravine. But walking down around the stair-stream, we would feel easy to see the calm landscape. The threat of the nature is under controled by the stone-work. The upstream area of Ushibusegawa including the stair-stream is a park for walking along the water. They has constructed some walkways, bridges and restplaces for visitors. Because the ravin-sides and -bottom is covered with stone-pavement all over to prevent the slide or the severe transformation of land, it is possible for us to walk around there. We can walk somewhere plain on stone-walled banks paved stream-sides. They have formed the artificial forest around the river to keep the ground on the ravine. They have constructed some climbing ways in the forest to the top of Hachibuseyama. In the late autumn we would enjoy watching the red or yellow leaves of trees, maples and Konaras or so. Toward downstream the stair-stream come to end in front of Rengakubashi bridge. Around there are some open grass-fields and woods on the plainer land. Also a rest park of Ushibusegawa with a parking place and toilet. ◆Waterway Devices◆ We would find some significant devices of the waterway of branches from the steep slope. To prevent them from forming big falls, they have constructed several tiny dams covered with stone-walls to make short falls. The confluence points are guarded with ston-walls against the collision impact of streams. By such overlapped security devices they can managed to keep the fine landscape of the ravine. ▲Inclinaion gets gentler after Rengakubashi ◆Field for Dabbling Water◆ The downstream side under Rengakubashi bridge is in the plainer ground. The water runs much more gently. Then the field is called Park for Dabbling Water. Little children play safely there. But very small field only for thirty meters long. It would be interesting to play with a leaf-boat. Or to walk around slowly, watching mountain-forests. Walking down the road for about 500 meters, we find a lookout where we can look over the dam-lake. ▲Road beneath Gofukuji temple to Rengakubashi ◆Dam for Erosion Control◆ ▲Lake by dam for erosion control The lake is made by a large dam for erosion control. Its height may be about twenty meters. It is saving a huge volume of water in the lake. The dam is to precipitate mud or sand and to let the surface water fall down. The view from the lookout-stand on the southside of the lake is very wonderful. They built it to appeal the landscape. As the Ushibuse ravine is open to northwest, we look over the urb of Matsumoto and Alps mountains behind it. If it's fine, we can see Jonendake at cener over the lake Yarigatake, on its west side and Otenshodake on its east side. The dam is always filled with water to let fall down water spilling over, i.e. just a volume flowing into it. Just beneath it another small one is saving water to make a pool. ▲Way on dam for management ▲Another small dam beneath the large dam	Grassfield on the riparina land The bank-terraces also covered with stone-wall and -pavement
	Both ravine-sides is covered with stone-work We can walk on its terraces Walk down on the grass field along the river A climbing way paved
	Over the stream is a rest-park A view of Rengakubashi bridge from upstream
	A branch on the ravine-side, covered with stone-walls A confluence point guarded with stone-work
	Water flows very gently after the bridge The dfield for dabbling A view of downstream around the field A view of downstream around the field The dam-lake of Ushibusegawa Height of the huge dam is about 20m Water falling down from the large dam is to be saved in the pool, thereafter to flow down from the small one. They form a doubble stages to keep water. Height gaps of them make about 20 meters. Looking at the surface of the pool I found some big fishe jumping up on it to make wave-circles.