Taiwan's Taroko Gorge Faces Potential Flood Threat from New Landslide Lake

Experts Warn of Rapid Water Surge and Road Closures as Landslide Lake Grows

A newly formed landslide lake in Taiwan's Taroko National Park, specifically at the Swallow's Entrance (Yanzikou) area, is posing a potential flood risk. The Hualien Forest District Office has commissioned a team from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University to assess the situation. Their estimates indicate that the lake, at its full capacity, could hold approximately 2.7 million tons of water.

The university team's projections suggest that if the dam formed by the landslide were to breach within an hour, the resulting water surge could reach Jinwen Bridge downstream in as little as 50 minutes. This rapid influx of water is expected to raise the riverbed level by approximately 5 meters.

In response to the potential hazard, the Directorate General of Highways has estimated that the water could begin to overflow onto Provincial Highway 8 (台8線公路) by 7 PM. Consequently, access to the section of Provincial Highway 8 between Tianxiang and Taroko will be restricted to outgoing traffic only from 5:30 PM, with a complete road closure implemented by 6 PM.

The Hualien Forest District Office further detailed that the landslide dam creating the lake is approximately 50 meters high and situated at an elevation of about 270 meters. It is located 260 meters from the nearby Provincial Highway 8. Based on an elevation of 260 meters, the National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University team calculated the lake's storage capacity at around 2.7 million tons, covering an area of approximately 10 hectares and extending upstream for about 1700 meters.