Chongchon River
The Ch'ŏngch'ŏn is a river of North Korea having its source in the Rangrim Mountains of Chagang Province and emptying into the Yellow Sea at Sinanju. The river flows past Myohyang-san and through the city of Anju, South P'yŏngan Province. Its total length is 217 km (135 mi), and it drains a basin of 9,553 km (3,688 sq mi). Important Bird Area. The river's estuary has been identified by BirdLife International as an 8000 ha (19,768 acre) Important Bird Area (IBA) because it supports significant numbers of the populations of various bird species. These include swan  geese, bean geese, whooper swans, Oriental storks, black-faced spoonbills, Chinese egrets, great bustards, white-naped cranes, hooded cranes, red-crowned cranes, Far Eastern curlews and spotted greenshanks. The site includes the 800 ha (1,977 acre) Mundok Nature Reserve. Hydroelectric dams. North Korea is building 10 new hydroelectric dams on the Chongchon River to spur rapid development.