It has been more than 3 years since Jianghan Canal was officially opened to conduct water and navigationon September 26th, 2014. How is it going on? How does the ecological environment change? Let’s have a look.
The Yangtze River-to-Hangjiang River Water Diversion Engineering is a significant part ofthe South-to-North water diversion project as well as the largest water resource allocation project in Hubei Province. On September 26, 2014, it was formally opened to conduct water and navigation. With a full length of 67.23km, it has a design discharge of 350 cubic meters water per second and the largest water flow of 500 cubic meters per second. It is 60 meters wide in the bottom with a water depth of 5.67 meters to 6.5 meters.
It was introduced by the principal head Wang Qi of Hubei Province Yangtze River-to-HangjiangRiver Water Diversion Bureau that in nearly four years, the YangtzeRiver-to-Hangjiang River Water Diversion Engineering had exerted tremendous social and economic benefits. At present, it has introduced water of 10.853billion cubic meters, including 1.225 billion cubic meters to the Jingdong River of Changhu Lake, 9.287 billion cubic meters to Hanjiang River, and 0.17billion cubic meters to Jingzhou Ancient City Moat. It has played a major role in the flood control and drought relief for Jianghan Plain. This engineering consists of two parts, conducting water and navigation. The shipping engineering is designed in line with the restricted class-3 standard dimensions of navigation channel and thus, ships of 1,000 tons could get through. Once completed, it will become the largest modern artificial canal in China, which could ensure 1,000-ton ships to get through all year around.
Wang Qi said that, in the past, people would get through Hankou and Dragon King Temple and goup along the Hanjiang River from Yichang to Xiangyang, while after the YangtzeRiver-to-Hanjiang River Water Diversion Engineering was open, the journey would reduce 680 km in total and the freight fee could be saved. Besides, the navigation condition of the engineering is great on day and night with guaranteed safety.
After completed,the engineering has not only ensured the abundance of the water flow of HanjiangRiver, but also added a new path for the inland diversion rivers in the urbanarea of Jingzhou, which assists to improve the water ecological environment of the city.
In addition,Hubei Province Yangtze River-to-Hanjiang River Water Diversion Bureau has also set up protective screening and drainage channels along the canal. The main purpose of the drainage channel is to separate rainwater and sewage to ensure the water quality and safety of river. Meanwhile, it has also taken hardening treatment to both sides of the canal to plant green grasses at the slopes overlining slabs so as to protect the plantation.
It was known that the landscape forest belt of the both sides of the engineering of introducing Yangtze River water to Hanjiang River covers an area of around4,050 mu. Among them, Libu Section with a length of 7 km covers a green area of 1,050 mu; Taihu Port Management Zone Section with a length of around 3 kmcovers a green area of 450 mu;Yingcheng Town Section with a length of around 3 km covers a green area of 450 mu; Ji’nan Ecological Culture &Tourism Area Section with a length of around 14.05 km covers a green area of 2,100 mu. In order to protect the water quality, the Bureau will clear and release floaters and river silt regularly and has set up three sensing points of water quality to monitor the water quality in real time.
(Reporters: SunYuyao, Guo Peiyue, and Li Yao)