One dam, one lake. A 157meters high dam stopped Dongjiang river and formed a 160 square kilometers big Dongjiang lake in 1986. Tens of thousands people’s lives were changed by Dongjiang lake and over 4719 square kilometers areas’ ecology were affected by the microclimate formed by Dongjiang lake. It became a tremendous treasure of Chenzhou city.

Strategic resource base of Hunan province

The ordinary water storage capacity of this 160 square kilometers lake is 8.12billion cubic meters, accounting for 1/136 available fresh water resource of China which is equal to half capacity of Dongting lake. All data shows that Dongjiang lake is in a significant place.

At the meantime, as the second water source of Changsha, Zhuzhou, Xiangtan, Hengyang, and Chenzhou area, Dongjiang lake keeps supplying high quality water to the mentioned areas which enables it to be the biggest drinking water source of Hunan province. Furthermore, Dongjiang lake plays the roles of “regulator”for the flood and drought control of the downstream of Xiangjiang river and “diluter”for relieving the water pollution. 

12 great floods happened in Xiangjiang river from 1990. Dongjiang lake helped to retain great amount of floods, especially in the great floods of “7.15”in 2006 and “8.19” in 2007, which saved time for the flood control of the downstream and relive the disaster.

Concerned for flood of “7.15”in 2006, 1.095billion cubic meters were retained by Dongjiang lake, which effectively granted the downstream of Dongjiang lake especially the city clusters of Chang-Zhu-Tan with safe condition in flood season. Concerned for the serious drought happened in 2003, 2007 and 2009, Dongjiang lake released great amount of water generously, which helped to relieve the serious drought condition of Xiangjiang river, especially Chang-Zhu-Tan area.

It was indicated by the research data, in 2010, Dongjiang lake reservoir area’s water resource service function value was accounted to 19.6billion yuan, and indirect use value and non-use value for forestry ecological system service was 13billion yuan and 90billion yuan respectively. The total amount of the three function values was amounted to 41.6billion yuan, which enabled it to be a strategic resource base of Hunan province.

Environmental risks caused by historical and practical problems

According to the tracking monitoring data recorded by environmental protection departments, the water quality of Dongjiang lake first class conservation area well met the II class water standard of the State “surface water environment quality standards” and first class standard of “source of drinking water standards”, while the second class conservation area well met or better than the III class surface water standards. As one of the state key ecological functional areas, the forest coverage rate of the area is over 72%. One national natural conservation area, one forestry park, one wetland park, 244 species of wild animals and 1246 species of wild plants are available in the area, covering 73% of Hunan province.

But due to some historical and practical problems, Dongjiang area suffered with some risks as water ecological unbalance, water pollution, and etc.

It was introduced by Li Laihua- Director of Chenzhou Environmental Protection Bureau that some areas’s environment especially the last part of the reservoir was badly damaged by the pollutions caused by industry, fishery, agriculture, shipping oil, sanitary sewage and tourism which destroyed the water resource as well.

Large amount of tailings, rocks and residues left by the non-ferrous metals exploring from 1950s’ were not settled well in the upstream of Dongjiang lake. Due to the destroy of ecology and water and soil erosion, the heave metals which left in the contaminated soil flowed into Dongjiang lake, which caused serious threat for the water environment of Dongjiang lake.

Furthermore, 604,100 residents of 52 towns and villages from 3 counties and one city were related to the Dongjiang lake area. In order to meet the development of the migrants, the cage culture was improved rapidly in Dongjiang lake. According to the data, the fish culture areas covered 1.12% of Dongjiang lake. Fodders and drugs which were used to prevent the disease of fishes were put into the lake. The fruit planting industry was developed rapidly along the banks of Dongjiang river. The pesticides and chemical fertilizers were permeated into the lake after raining.

Joint efforts placed to protect Dongjiang lake

In order to protect Dongjiang lake, great efforts were tried by Chenzhou city and Chenzhou people by carrying out series strict protection measures.

In 2002, “Hunan provincial regulations for Dongjiang lake’s water environmental protection” was issued by Hunan Provincial People’s Party Committee. Dongjiang lake became the first large scale water reservoir issued with special legislative protection. It was also enrolled as one of the 15 national support key lakes.

Financing support is the guarantee for the protection of Dongjiang lake. As introduced by Lei Yuguang- Chief Accountant of Chenzhou Finance Bureau that the paid-in central government’s subsidies was amounted to 470million yuan after Dongjiang lake’s enrollment into the list of national support key lake. From 2012 to 2014, 2million yuan was allocated by Chenzhou finance every year to carry out the protection of Dongjiang lake. 10 million yuan was comprehensively arranged to support the greening channels construction of Dongjiang lake, 3million yuan of which has been paid. Besides those, the State Council launched the transfer payment from the exchequer for key ecological function areas in December, 2010. Guidong, Rucheng, Yizhang and other 2 counties of Chenzhou city were listed as national key ecological functional areas. Yizhang, Guidong and Rucheng county which were along the Dongjiang lake basin were subsidized with162.20million yuan in 2013.

The governance of water source of Dongjiang lake was related to the protection of the ecological environment around Dongjiang lake. “In order to protect the plants and wild animals around Dongjiang lake, ‘five-forbidden’measures were carried out the forestry department, such as no cutting, no barren, no fire, no hunting, and no grazing.”introduced by Li Qunwei- Chief Engineer of Chenzhou Forestry Bureau, “20yuan/mu financing subsidies would be paid to the forestry farmers and more subsides would be placed to the farmer who planted over one mu qualified forest.”

It was introduced by Luo Shumao- Deputy Director of Chenzhou Water Resources Bureau that “Chenzhou water function zoning” was figured out by Chenzhou city. 9 conservation areas and 4 reservation areas were designated in the upstream of Dongjiang lake. All the development and construction work handled out in the region of the designated areas should well meet the requirements of water function zone’ management. In recent 5 years, 135 square kilometers areas of Dongjiang lake where were suffered with water and soil erosion were comprehensively governed by Chenzhou water conservancy departments.