Incheon's Gulpo Stream, Once Covered in Concrete, Reborn as an Ecological River... Maintenance Water Supplied

Incheon City held a water welcoming event on December 4, supplying maintenance water to Gulpo Stream for the first time ahead of the completion of the Gulpo Stream Natural Ecological River Restoration Project.

The Gulpo Stream Restoration Project is Incheon's first river restoration initiative, aiming to revive Gulpo Stream-which lost its original function after being covered with gray concrete during the urbanization process of the 1990s-into a natural waterfront, water-friendly, and ecological space.

Gulpo Stream Ecological River. Incheon City

With a total project cost of 66.6 billion won, construction began in June 2021 on a 1.5-kilometer section from the Bupyeong 1-dong Administrative Welfare Center to Bupyeong District Office. The project is set to be completed and opened to the public on the 18th of this month.

On this day, Mayor Yoo Jeongbok received a report on the progress of the river restoration, inspected key facilities including odor-blocking installations, and opened the maintenance water gate to begin supplying maintenance water to the restored section.

The restored section of the Gulpo Stream Ecological River has been developed into three themed areas: ▲ Section 1 (Bupyeong 1-dong Administrative Welfare Center to Buheng-ro) - an ecological and cultural experience space; ▲ Section 2 (Buheng-ro to Baengma Bridge) - an ecological observation and exploration space; and ▲ Section 3 (Baengma Bridge to the confluence with Sanggok Stream) - a natural ecological restoration space. Water for the stream will be sourced from the Gulpo Sewage Treatment Plant's effluent, disinfected at a reuse facility, and supplied at a rate of 40,000 tons per day.

Mayor Yoo stated, "The Gulpo Stream water welcoming event marks a historic moment as clear and clean river water flows for the first time into a waterway that had been trapped beneath concrete structures for over 30 years. In this newly opened natural river, citizens will be able to enjoy comfortable relaxation and water-friendly culture." He added, "We will continue to expand restoration projects for old city waterways, such as Mansu Stream in Namdong District, to return these historic water paths to the citizens."

Yoo Jeong-bok, Mayor of Incheon, is opening the water gate at the Gulpo Stream water welcoming event held on the 4th at the Gulpo Stream ecological river restoration project site in Bupyeong District. Incheon City