As the Sinvsi Control Gate in Dezhou, Shandong, started to discharge on March 21st, 2025, the section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in the north of the Yellow River realized full line flow, marking the 4th consecutive year of its full-channel connectivity since 2022.
In order to push forward ecological environment rehabilitation of rivers and lakes and comprehensive management of groundwater over-exploitation in North China, Ministry of Water Resources of China has implemented water replenishment for the full-channel connectivity of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal for 4 consecutive years. With the section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in the north of the Yellow River as the main connectivity route, the implementation of 2025 water recharge plan will continue until the end of June, involving 4 provinces and municipalities of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and Shandong, and flowing through 8 prefecture-level administrative regions and 31 county-level administrative regions.
By means of optimizing the distribution and scheduling of the water from North Extension Emergency Water Supply Project for the first phase of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project (the Eastern Route), the local water sources in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and Shandong provinces, the diverted Yellow River water, and the recycled water and stormwater, it is expected to render a recharge volume of 556 million m3, of which 529 million m3 enters the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. The total length of the replenishment line is 1274 km. Consequently, the source of irrigation water supply of 30667 ha will be transitioned from deep groundwater to surface water, the groundwater level around the recharge channel will rise, and the aquatic ecosystem will be further restored.
Source: INTCE