Dongting Lake, China's second largest freshwater lake, has become clearer, as there was less silt in the lake in the past year than in previous years.  

According to a survey released by the Hydrological Bureau of the Yangtze River Water Resources Committee recently, there were 38.3 million tons of silt flowing into the Dongting Lake in 2003. Nearly half of the amount came from the Yangtze River. The rate of silt sediment was 20.5 million tons, accounting for one fifth of the average rate in previous years.

Chen Songsheng, deputy chief engineer of the Hydrological Bureau of the Yangtze River Water Resources Committee (YRWRC), attributed the sharp drop in the amount of silt to the discharge of clear water from the Yangtze River since the Three Gorges Project began to store water in June last year.

Dongting Lake, next in size to Poyang Lake with a drainage area of 262,000 sq km, is located in the northern part of Hunan Province, south of the Yangtze. The lake area has shrunk from 6,000 sq km in 1852 to 2,623 sq km by 1995 as the result of large-scale land exploitation and silt accumulation.

Chinese experts say the lake will play its role of diverting flood on Yangtze River again with a silt reduction and conversion of poor farmland back into lake.