Cheongdocheon

Cheongdocheon (Korean: 청도천) is a stream that flows through Cheongdo County in North Gyeongsang Province. It rises on the slopes of Biseulsan in Gakbuk-myeon [ko] and flows for 38.2 kilometres (23.7 mi) before joining the Miryang River at Cheongdo-eup [ko].^[1]

Cheongdocheon
Location of mouth
Native name	청도천 (Korean)
Location
Country	South Korea
Province	North Gyeongsang Province
County	Cheongdo County
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Gakbuk-myeon, Cheongdo
• elevation	277.84 m (911.5 ft)[1]
Mouth	Miryang River
• location	Cheongdo-eup, Cheongdo
• coordinates	35.57°N 128.77°E / 35.57; 128.77
• elevation	34.93 m (114.6 ft)[1]
Length	38.75 km (24.08 mi)
Basin size	337 km2 (130 sq mi)
Basin features
River system	Nakdong River
Korean name
Hangul	청도천
Hanja	淸道川
RR	Cheongdocheon
MR	Ch'ŏngdoch'ŏn

The Cheongdocheon drains a watershed of 337 km², and has a flow length (the longest distance from the mouth to the watershed perimeter) of 41 km.^[2] A small alluvial plain along the Cheongdocheon is used for farmland.^[3]

Under the River Act of South Korea, the Cheongdocheon is classified as a local river which is subject to provincial jurisdiction.^[4]

Name

The stream takes its name from Cheongdo County through which it flows. Other names of the stream include Jacheon (used in the Joseon Dynasty) and Songeupcheon (used locally in Cheongdo-eup).^[2]

Confusion can arise from the fact that another stream by the same name flows through Miryang and Changnyeong County, taking its name from Cheongdo-myeon [ko] in Miryang.^[2]

Tributaries

Other local rivers flowing into the Cheongdocheon include the Osancheon, Punggakcheon, Bugokcheon, Daegokcheon, and Darocheon.^[4]

Among the Cheongdocheon's smaller tributaries is the Seowoncheon ("seowon stream") in Iseo-myeon. The Cheongdo Bullfighting Festival [ko] was held on the sandy banks of the Seowoncheon until the Cheongdo Bullfighting Stadium was constructed in 2009.^[5]

Fauna

A study in the 1990s found that the Cheongdocheon was home to 31 species of fish, of which 14 are unique to Korea. The three most common species observed were the dark chub (Nipponocypris temminckii), the pale chub (Zacco platypus), and the slender gudgeon (Squalidus gracilis).^[6]

A 15-kilometre (9.3 mi) section of the Cheongdocheon is a popular habitat for migratory birds.^[7] About 20 species of migratory birds have been observed wintering in the area, including the mandarin duck.^[8]