On October 19, a reporter from China News Service gathered insights from the Ministry of Water Resources regarding the ongoing water level decline in the Yangtze River basin. Since the beginning of October, water levels in the main stream of the Yangtze River, as well as in Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake, have been consistently decreasing. The Ministry and the provinces of Jiangxi, Hubei, and Hunan are actively responding to ensure the safety of urban and rural water supplies.

Monitoring data collected by the water resources department indicates that, as of 8 AM on the 18th, water levels at key stations in Hankou, Jiujiang, Datong, as well as in the cities of Chenglingji and Xingzi in Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake, were 3.16 to 5.31 meters lower than the average for this time of year.

The Ministry of Water Resources is closely observing the drought conditions in the Yangtze River basin. They have intensified water condition monitoring and are issuing timely water forecasts. Working teams have been dispatched to areas such as Jingzhou in Hubei province to assess the supply of urban and rural water during this dry season. Communication and coordination efforts have also been strengthened with key entities, including the State Grid, Southern Grid, the Yangtze River Navigation Administration, and the Three Gorges Group. The goal is to fine-tune operations of the reservoir network, particularly focusing on controlling the discharge from the Three Gorges Reservoir to around 7,000 cubic meters per second, in order to meet current demands for water usage across the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River for drinking, irrigation, and navigation, as well as to reserve water for the upcoming winter and spring seasons.

The Jiangxi Provincial Water Resources Department is guiding local municipalities around Poyang Lake, such as Duchang, Lushan, and Hukou, in formulating emergency water supply plans. Measures including dredging and digging diversion channels have already been implemented to capture and store water, along with the activation of backup water sources. Since July 15, Hubei’s water authority has extracted a total of 1.335 billion cubic meters of water, and the Northern Hubei Engineering has supplied 40 million cubic meters to localities in that area. Additionally, the Jiangjiang-Jihan project has delivered approximately 1.229 billion cubic meters of water to the middle and lower reaches of the Han River, the Dongjing River, and Changhu Lake to support the local population and crop irrigation needs. The Hunan Provincial Water Resources Department has initiated a water replenishment project for the northern part of Dongting Lake, distributing 300 million cubic meters since late August to ensure water supply for 2.3 million residents and irrigation for 3.93 million mu of crops.

The Ministry of Water Resources has affirmed its commitment to closely monitor precipitation, water levels, and drought conditions. They will continue to provide updated forecasts for low water levels in the middle and lower reaches, issuing drought alerts as necessary, and guiding the Yangtze River Water Resources Commission and relevant regions in the precise scheduling of water projects. Emergency measures such as dredging, dam construction, drilling for groundwater, inter-river water transfers, and the use of pumping stations will be implemented to ensure the safety of urban and rural water supplies.