Landscape Changes and Increasing Flood Frequency in China's Poyang Lake Region*

*We gratefully acknowledge the help of Zhao Xiaomin, Head of the College of Natural Resources, Jiangxi Agricultural University, and Yin Fuqing, Chairman of the University Education Department, Jiangxi Provincial Education Committee, who supported this project in many ways. Min Qian, Jiangxi Hydrology Office, Zuo Changqing, Head of the Jiangxi Soil and Water Institute, and Zou Junxian and Fung Zhaozhen, Jiangxi Levee Office, generously provided valuable information and documents. We owe special thanks to Feng Jia and Zhu Weihua, who invited us into their homes and gave of their time and hospitality. Also, thanks to Gerald Webster for reviewing an early draft of this article. Figures were prepared by the University of Alabama Cartographic Research Laboratory. Funding for this work was provided by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars' Fulbright Scholars Program.

Abstract

Jiangxi Province in southeastern China contains Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China. Poyang Lake and the lower sections of the major Jiangxi rivers flowing into the lake often flood during the early summer months. Floodwater can be several meters above the surrounding lowlands during the most severe flood events. Levees at the margins of Poyang Lake and along the Jiangxi rivers provide flood protection for about 10 million people. The number of severe floods in this region has increased rapidly during the past few decades, resulting in catastrophic levee failures. The three factors likely responsible for the increasing frequency of severe floods are (1) land reclamation and levee construction and (2) lake sedimentation, both of which reduce lake volume, and (3) increasing Changjiang water level, which slows Poyang Lake drainage.

Key Words:

• China
• flood control
• levees
• Poyang Lake
• sediment

Notes

Source: Min (2000).

Source: Min (1999).

^aBased on water surface elevation of 22 m.

Source: Xie (1999).

Source:

^a Hu and Zhu (1998);

^b Liu and Wu (1999).

¹ Rivers in China are referred to as “jiang” (such as the Ganjiang, meaning the Gan River) or “he” (such as the Huanghe, meaning Huang [Yellow] River). We do not use the word “river” following Chinese river names because it would be redundant. Also, we use Chinese place names, not English transliterations. Most notable among these in this article is the Yangtze River, the largest river in China. In China, this river is called the Changjiang (meaning Long River), which is the name used throughout this article.

*We gratefully acknowledge the help of Zhao Xiaomin, Head of the College of Natural Resources, Jiangxi Agricultural University, and Yin Fuqing, Chairman of the University Education Department, Jiangxi Provincial Education Committee, who supported this project in many ways. Min Qian, Jiangxi Hydrology Office, Zuo Changqing, Head of the Jiangxi Soil and Water Institute, and Zou Junxian and Fung Zhaozhen, Jiangxi Levee Office, generously provided valuable information and documents. We owe special thanks to Feng Jia and Zhu Weihua, who invited us into their homes and gave of their time and hospitality. Also, thanks to Gerald Webster for reviewing an early draft of this article. Figures were prepared by the University of Alabama Cartographic Research Laboratory. Funding for this work was provided by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars' Fulbright Scholars Program.