Water replenishment of Yellow River Delta hits record high

A total of 155 million cubic meters of water was supplied to improve the environment of the Yellow River Delta in nearly one month, hitting a record high, according to the Yellow River Conservancy Commission of the Ministry of Water Resources.

The amount is an increase of 237 percent over the average during the last decade, said Cheng Yanhong, deputy director of the commission's water diversion department.

With an area of 153,000 hectares, the Yellow River Delta has the largest, most complete and youngest wetland ecosystem in the world's warm temperate zone. Strengthening the protection and restoration of wetland ecology in the delta is of great significance to maintaining ecosystem security and biodiversity.

Since 2008, the conservancy commission started implementing ecological regulations in the lower reaches of the Yellow River and has carried out ecological water replenishment of wetlands in the Yellow River Delta Nature Reserve.

Monitoring data shows the surface area of the Yellow River Delta has reached 59,000 hectares, an increase of 4,900 over the previous round of water replenishment. The underground water level has also risen by 1.4 meters.

The intersection line of the river and the sea has moved outward by 23 km, which has slowed down sea water encroachment and protected the ecological system.