- Chinese (Pinyin):
- Dongting Hu or
- (Wade-Giles romanization):
- Tung-t’ing Hu
Dongting Lake
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What is Dongting Lake?
Dongting Lake is a large lake in northern Hunan province in south-central China. It is located in a basin south of the Yangtze River, to which it connects via four channels, and is fed by almost the entire drainage of Hunan province.
The lake's size fluctuates greatly depending on the season. Normally, it stretches about 95 miles (150 km) from east to west and 60 miles (95 km) from north to south, with an area of 1,089 square miles (2,820 square km). During flood periods, its water level can rise by up to 50 feet (15 meters), and the inundated area can expand to as much as 7,700 square miles (20,000 square km). It is now China's second-largest freshwater lake.
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Where is Dongting Lake located in China?
Dongting Lake is a large lake located in the northern part of Hunan province in south-central China. It is situated in a basin south of the Yangtze River and is connected to it by four channels. The lake's water levels fluctuate significantly with the seasons, acting as a retention reservoir for the Yangtze River during flood season (June to October). The lake is fed by almost the entire drainage of Hunan province, including the Xiang River from the south and the Zi, Yuan, and Li rivers from the southwest and west. The waters of the entire lake system discharge into the Yangtze at Yueyang.
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What rivers flow into Dongting Lake?
Dongting Lake is a large lake in the Hunan province of China, south of the Yangtze River. Approximately two-fifths of the Yangtze River's water flows into the lake, especially during flood periods.
The lake is fed from the south by almost the entire drainage of Hunan province, with the Xiang River flowing in from the south, and the Zi, Yuan, and Li rivers from the southwest and west. Hunan’s entire river system drains into Dongting Lake, with the exception of the Lin Stream, which divides into two parts, with one distributary draining directly into the Yangtze River and the other into Dongting Lake. The waters of the entire lake system discharge into the Yangtze at Yueyang.
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Why is Dongting Lake important for flooding control?
Dongting Lake plays a crucial role in flood control for the Yangtze River and the surrounding Hunan province. The lake serves as a natural retention reservoir, holding excess water from the Yangtze during the flood season (June to October). Approximately two-fifths of the river's water flows into the lake, increasing during flood periods. Additionally, the lake receives water from almost the entire drainage of Hunan province via the Xiang, Zi, Yuan, and Li rivers. By temporarily storing floodwaters, Dongting Lake helps to regulate the flow of the Yangtze and reduce the risk of flooding downstream. The Three Gorges Dam project, located upstream, further assists in controlling the Yangtze's flow and limiting flooding.
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How does Dongting Lake affect the local economy and agriculture?
Dongting Lake significantly shapes the local economy and agriculture of the surrounding Hunan province. It serves as a crucial agricultural hub, acting as a collection and distribution center for the fertile plains nearby. The lake is a vital fishing ground, especially known for its carp.
The lake's extensive river system is used for irrigation and flood control, which is supplemented by electric pumping stations that drain waterlogged fields and irrigate during droughts. The lake also helps regulate flooding on the Yangtze River.
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What are some environmental challenges facing Dongting Lake today?
Dongting Lake faces environmental challenges such as flood regulation issues due to land reclamation and sedimentation from inflowing rivers like the Yangtze. Large-scale construction projects, including artificial retention basins and the Three Gorges Dam, have been undertaken to manage flooding. Soil and water conservation projects, bank reinforcement, and extending lake limits are also underway. Additionally, the low-lying land around the lake is prone to flooding during summer months, necessitating dike systems and electric pumping stations for drainage and irrigation.
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Dongting Lake, large lake in northern Hunan province, south-central China. It lies in a basin to the south of the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) and is connected to the Yangtze by four channels. Typically, some two-fifths of the river’s waters flow into the lake, the amount increasing during flood periods. The lake is also fed from the south by almost the entire drainage of Hunan province, with the Xiang River flowing in from the south and the Zi, Yuan, and Li rivers from the southwest and west. The waters of the entire lake system discharge into the Yangtze at Yueyang.
The lake’s size varies greatly from season to season. Its normal size is about 95 miles (150 km) from east to west and 60 miles (95 km) from north to south, while its area is 1,089 square miles (2,820 square km). In flood periods its water level may rise by as much as 50 feet (15 metres), and the inundated area may increase by as much as 7,700 square miles (20,000 square km). It is now the second largest freshwater lake in China.
The lake, like Lake Poyang farther east, acts as a huge retention reservoir for the Yangtze. In the flood season (June to October) the waters of the Yangtze flood into the lake. During that time not only the Yueyang outlet but also two of the inflow channels (the Taiping and Ouchi streams) are navigable by large craft, which can also pass up the southern rivers. From October to April, however, more water is discharged from the lake than enters it, the water level falls, and much of the lake’s area becomes dry land.
Large-scale construction projects have been undertaken to supplement the role played by Dongting Lake in regulating flooding on the Yangtze. In the northwest angle between the lake and the Yangtze, a huge artificial retention basin (built in 1954–56) has floodgates through which the Yangtze can be diverted in time of need. The basin is kept empty and its floor under cultivation, except during the flood season. Called Lake Datong, it is regulated by a great barrage (dam) across the Taiping Stream entrance to Dongting Lake. Between the 1930s and the 1950s, much of the land along the lake banks and inside the dikes surrounding Dongting Lake was reclaimed, a process hastened by the gradual silting up of the lake from the huge amounts of sediment deposited by its inflowing rivers, especially the Yangtze. As a result, the area of the lake was reported to be 400 square miles (1,000 square km) smaller in the 1970s than it was in 1937. At one time, as a result of such reclamation, the lake was almost divided in two and was no longer able adequately to fulfill its regulatory function, causing flooding on the lower courses of the rivers flowing into the lake. In the 1950s, however, such reclamation was prohibited, and efforts were begun to reconnect the different sections of the lake system. In response to the serious flood disaster of 1998, the central and local governments launched several projects aimed at soil and water conservation, extending the limits of the lake, and reinforcement of the banks around the lake. In addition, the large Three Gorges Dam project, upstream from the lake, is intended to regulate the flow of the Yangtze and to limit flooding.
Dongting Lake provides a common nexus for the rivers of Hunan and a link between northern Hunan and the Yangtze, the cities around the lake’s margin being the chief agricultural collection and distribution centres for the surrounding fertile plain. The lake is also a fishing ground, particularly during winter, being noted for its carp. The Zhangling Oil Refinery, built in 1971, is located on the edge of Dongting Lake and provides fuel oil for the province.