The Yangtze River is the longest river in Asia and the third-longest in the world. Originating in Qinghai Province in southwestern China, it runs through the eastern parts of Tibet, Sichuan, Yunnan, and ends at Shanghai in coastal China. Its waters cross 10 provinces and two autonomous regions, while its huge drainage basin spreads over 11 provinces and two autonomous regions. At its deepest point, the Yangtze River is 636 meters deep, making it one of the world’s deepest rivers.
The Yangtze River has a total length of 6,300 kilometers, a width of 500 meters in its upper reaches and a width of 1,600 meter in its middle reaches. It starts in an elevation of 4,150 meters above sea level on the glacier-covered Geladandong Mountain in western Qinghai and flows eastward into eastern Sichuan Province, where it turns southeast and forms part of the border between Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces. From there, it turns southwest and flows on to Shanghai, where it joins the East China Sea.
The Yangtze River is a vital connection between different parts of China and contributes to the nation’s economy and resources coupled with environmental protection. Its role is increasingly important as it provides a route of transportation as well as irrigation and electric power to many cities, towns and villages located in the basin of its drainage area. The Yangtze River also hosts many species of fish, including carp, perch, bream, grass and silver crucian carp.
The Yangtze River is a resource of immense importance and its human influence has been significant since ancient times. The river is one of the most intensively utilized and managed water resources in the world. It has long been used as a major trading route, along with Chinese ships transferring goods from the interior regions to the coastal areas. Numerous dams have been constructed along the Yangtze River for energy production and irrigation purposes, significantly impacting the river’s depth.
In terms of its maximum depth, the mid- and upper-course of the Yangtze River reaches its greatest depths between 600 and 636 meters. The deeper sections of the lower course provide refuge for some large and commercially important freshwater species and historically has been difficult to exploit due to the deeper river. This has provided numerous benefits not only to the many inhabitants living in the river basin, but also to the species found within the Yangtze River.
Despite the ease of navigation by boat, many ships had difficulty navigating the Yangtze due to its depth. The stretches of the river contain sections with a depth of between 137 and 190 metres, which made navigation difficult for ships of considerable size as the depth diminished with the receding tide. However, due to the construction of several dams along the lower course of the river specifically for hydropower production and water storage, the flow of the river has been curtailed and the growth of the river’s delta slowed.
The hydropower potential of the river has been ripe for exploitation due to its deep depths. The Three Gorges Dam, located on the middle course of the Yangtze, is the largest and most effective hydroelectric project in the world. It has a total capacity of 22.5 gigawatts, enough to supply power to the entire region. Other important hydropower stations built alongside the river include the Gezhouba Dam, the Xiangjiaba Dam, and the Xiluodu Dam.
The relentless exploitation of the Yangtze River’s vast hydropower resources has not only impacted the depth of the river but also its eco-environment. The diversion of water from the river has resulted in a decrease in its flow rate, thus reducing its oxygen level, acidity and fertility. This has been particularly detrimental to local fauna and has phsyically changed the river’s course in some instances.
Pollution
Pollution has also been a major contributor to the changes in depth of the Yangtze River. Growing human populations and the rapid development of China’s industries have created heavy pollution in the Yangtze River. Untreated industrial waste, sewage and agricultural runoff have all caused significant environmental damage, contributing to sedimentation and a decrease in dissolved oxygen in the river.
Action has been taken by the government to address these issues. The Chinese government has established a number of programs designed to promote a healthier, more environmentally friendly river. The “Beautiful China” campaign has established laws to reduce pollution, but the majority of citizens still lack awareness of environmental issues, making it difficult to achieve success.
Furthermore, the threat of displacement due to the construction of hydropower plants and dams has been an area of great concern. Millions of citizens have been forced to relocate due to their displacement, a question of moral and ethical dilemma in relation to human rights.
The Yangtze River is an important economic resource for the country and a major artery of connection between different parts of China. As the longest river in Asia and the third-longest in the world, its depth has been both impacted by human development and also been integral to it. Despite the heavy pollution and displacement of citizens, the river remains the lifeblood of the nation and promises a brighter future if the environmental challenges facing it can be addressed.
Ecosystem Services
The Yangtze River has provided numerous ecosystem services to China over the centuries. It has served as a source of water and nutrients crucial for agriculture, providing freshwater fish, hydroelectric power and transport. In addition, nutrient runoff from the Yangtze contributes to the productivity of adjacent coastal areas and plays an important role in the landscape of adjacent provinces and in the maintenance of species diversity.
The Yangtze is an area of high biodiversity and is home to numerous endangered species such as the Chinese alligator, the Chinese white-flag dolphin and the Chinese sturgeon. This endemic species has adapted to the river’s unique conditions and provides an incredible ecological diversity which must be protected in order to preserve China’s fragile aquatic life.
The Yangtze is an incredibly important resource for both industry and for protecting the environment. In order to ensure its depth does not continue to decline, the government needs to implement policies and regulations to reduce pollution and reduce human interference. Education programmes need to be developed to raise public awareness of the importance of the Yangtze and of the challenges in preserving its depths.
The local fishing industry provides a living for many families that rely on the river’s depths to support the diversity of fish present. There have been various initiatives to protect their livelihood by establishing fishing reserves throughout the river. Furthermore, developing upstream and downstream fish migration routes and hatcheries for the stock of fish contribute to successful management of the river’s fisheries.
Reclamation Projects
The giant Three Gorges Dam has enabled industrial development along the lower course of the river by allowing navigation of larger ships and consequently increased the transport of goods and raw materials. This has had a positive impact on China’s economy but has also created environmental issues such as a decrease in river fish stock due to the drastic changes in the river’s environment. The environmental implications of the reclamation projects have been a major concern and the government has implemented a number of reclamation projects to counteract their effects.
One of the most successful of these is the Wuhan to Nanjing re-watering project. It was initiated in 2004 and has been widely regarded as an excellent example of an effective reclamation project. By constructing a number of weirs, the project replenished the river downstream from Nanjing to Wuhan and increased its depth as well as the number of fish species that inhabit the river. This project has had a positive effect on the livelihood of those who depend on the river for their income and is an example of a successful attempt to improve the quality of life in the Yangtze River basin.
Another successful initiative to improve the width and depth of the Yangtze River was the Three Gorges Dam Adjustment and Sedimentation Management Plan. The plan was designed to control the increase of sediment accumulation in the reservoir and to reduce erosion, allowing the average water level downstream of the dam to rise by up to two meters. The effectiveness of the Management Plan can be seen in the significant increase in the average water level of the Yangtze River in the post-dammed river reaches.
Conclusion
The Yangtze River is an incredible resource that has been used since ancient times and still plays an important role in modern Chinese society. It is a vital connection point between provinces and a major source of income for many citizens living in its basin. Despite the heavy human development of the river and the consequent decrease in depth and increase in pollution, the government has implemented various projects to improve the quality and depth of the river. These initiatives, however, need to be enforced in order for the Yangtze River to continue to be an integral part of the country.
