[Photo] The cranes return when water flows

For five years, a stretch of the Geum River had been turned into a reservoir following

construction of the Four Rivers Project. However, with the opening of three gates from a nearby dam on Nov. 28, the water level in the river returned to natural levels, causing sandy beaches to reappear and cranes and egrets to return to the area. “I saw hope in despair. When the water flowed, the cranes and egrets came back,” said Yang June-hyuk, of the Daejeon-Chungnam Green Alliance, an environmental non-profit organization. Yang said that the return of the cranes showed the importance of citizens in the area monitoring the health of the river and making sure that their voices are being heard. (provided by Daejeon-Chungnam Green Alliance)