China News Service, Guangzhou, January 20 (Reporter Wang Jian) Since December 2023, the Pearl River Estuary has encountered three rounds of strong salty tides, and many places have been affected by salty tides to varying degrees.
In response to the current salty situation in the Pearl River Basin, the Pearl River Water Conservancy Commission of the Ministry of Water Resources of China (hereinafter referred to as the "Pearl River Commission") decided to dispatch reservoirs such as Xijiang Longtan and Dadengxia in the Pearl River Basin to replenish water to the downstream to suppress the salty tide at the estuary and make every effort to Ensure the safety of water supply in Macao, Zhuhai and other places.
According to the Pearl River Commission, according to hydrological department predictions, due to the influence of enhanced tidal power, a new round of strong salt tide is expected to occur at the Pearl River estuary, which will affect the extraction of fresh water from major water intakes such as Zhuhai and Zhongshan, and may threaten the security of water supply in places such as Macao.
In addition, as the Spring Festival Transport in 2024 is about to begin, the number of navigation ships in the main stream of the Xijiang River is gradually increasing, and the pressure to ensure smooth navigation of the "golden waterway" of the Xijiang River continues to increase.
Wang Baoen, executive deputy commander-in-chief of the Pearl River Defense General Administration and director of the Pearl River Committee, said that the Pearl River Committee, together with the water conservancy departments of Guangxi and Guangdong, China Southern Power Grid and other units, launched a new round of emergency dispatch to suppress salt water and replenish fresh water to effectively ensure the safety of water supply in Macau, Zhuhai and other places. It also coordinates the water needs of shipping, power generation, ecology and other parties to give full play to the comprehensive benefits of water projects in the basin.
At present, the Pearl River Committee has held a meeting to analyze and judge the current development trend of rain, water and salt water conditions in the basin, and to study and deploy the emergency water dispatch of the Pearl River in the near future to suppress salt water and replenish fresh water.
Based on the current rainwater, salty conditions and water supply security situation in the basin, the Pearl River Commission has decided to dispatch Xijiang Longtan, Dateng Gorge, Changzhou and other reservoirs to replenish water downstream from January 20 to continue to increase the runoff of the main stream of the Xijiang River and suppress salty water at the mouth of the river. The tide creates favorable conditions for the extraction of fresh water downstream, fully guarantees the safety of water supply in Macao, Zhuhai and other places, and at the same time relieves the navigation pressure on the "golden waterway" of the Xijiang River to facilitate the "Spring Festival travel home".
The Pearl River Committee stated that in the next step, the committee will continue to track the evolution of water replenishment head, conduct rolling forecasts, and further optimize the dispatch plan; strengthen the unified dispatch of water projects in the basin, urge relevant units to strictly implement dispatch instructions, and guide Zhuhai, Zhongshan and other places to rush for water Replenish the warehouse and do a good job in water supply dispatch to ensure the effectiveness of this emergency dispatch; strengthen coordination with the power grid, shipping and other departments, and promptly report information to Macao and other relevant parties.
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