Plans are revived to build dam on Poyang Lake, cutting it off from Yangtze River during dry season
- The area is rich in biodiversity, and the project has been shelved several times, primarily because of objections from environmentalists
- The lake is home to the endangered Yangtze finless porpoise, and nearly 98 per cent of all Siberian cranes, which are also endangered, spend winters there
China’s largest freshwater lake may be cut off from the Yangtze River during the dry season once the plan for building a dam on the lake is finally approved.
Authorities in the eastern province of Jiangxi are soliciting public opinion over building a 3km (1.9 mile)-long and 23.4 metre (77 foot)-high sluice gate between Poyang Lake and the Yangtze River to control water levels and alleviate drought in winter.
The lake is one of the two large bodies of water that naturally connect to the Yangtze River, but it has witnessed worsening winter droughts in recent years.
Jiangxi authorities suggested building a series of sluice gates to raise water levels during the dry season, but it was opposed by environmentalists and the public.
The water resources department of Jiangxi released a second environmental impact assessment last week. The deadline for the public to submit opinions about the project is Friday, it said.