SOUTHERN REGIONS SUFFER GREEN TIDES

[Anchor Lead]

Korea's southern region is suffering from extreme drought. It follows a spring drought and a rainy season that recorded only 60% of normal precipitation. To make the matter worse, the recent heat wave is exacerbating the algal bloom in the region.

[Pkg]

The entire river has turned green. Large algal ribbons are spotted floating atop the riverside. This area suffers from algal blooms every summer, but the situation is comparitively even worse this year. The green tide began in early summer, but once the heat wave came, the algae alert level was raised to the more severe "warning." A fisherman hauls in the net but it is filled only with dead fish. The river's water quality has deteriorated so much from the algal bloom that fishermen come back empty-handed every time.

[Soundbite] Park Sang-ha(Fisherman) : "All the fish are dead like this."

This is a water intake station. This station supplies drinking water to 70% of Daegu residents. But the water is covered in leaves and green algae and gives off a foul smell. Sludge worm, a bio-indicator of grade four, highly polluted water, is found all over the Nakdonggang River.

[Soundbite] Jeong Su-geun(Federation for Environmental Movements in Daegu) : "The green tide occurred about two weeks earlier than last year and its condition is akin to what used to happen in August."

Farmers who work normally with the water from this station is in a crisis mode.

[Soundbite] Kwak Sang-su(Farmer) : "When the green tide is severe, algal chunks flow in with the water. I am stunned when I see my field like that."

This year's severe algal bloom is caused by the prolonged drought in the southern regions. Less water is released from the dams and the weirs block the water flow to lengthen the time river water stays in one place. But it's not as if the dam can be opened right away. The water reserve rate of Imha Dam in the upstream Nakdonggang River is already only half of last year's level.

[Soundbite] Ryu Yeong-mo(Imha Dam Operation Dept., K-Water) : "This year's drought is particularly severe and prolonged. The multipurpose dams along the entire Nakdonggang River have low water reserve rates overall."

Once the rainy season ends for the parched Nakdonggang River, the green tide is going to cause even more damage for the time being.