The central route of the South-to-North Water Diversion project has completed a resupply of water to Hebei province, channeling 310 million cubic meters of water to the area, with 100 million cubic meters being directed to Baiyang Lake to improve the ecological environment of the lake and its upstream area.
Baohe Reservoir in Xushui district, Baoding city, which has been dry for many years, has come to life following the replenishment.
Since the replenishment began in April, water authorities along the rivers flowing into Baiyang Lake reinforced their inspection of canals and monitoring of runoff to ensure the protection of the reservoir.
Villagers living along the rivers said the renewal has ended a dry spell that lasted more than 20 years in the area and has improved the irrigation capabilities in the region.
According to official monitoring, the surface area of waters in Xushui district has increased by about 430,000 square meters since the replenishment, and the level of shallow groundwater has risen by an average of 0.96 meters.
Liu Wende, head of engineering technology of the Water Conservancy Bureau in Xushui district, said, "Before the replenishment, the district government organized the clean-up of garbage from the rivers. After the replenishment, we set up four fixed salvage points along the Baohe River to ensure water quality."