Tengger Desert is one of the four deserts in China. The Great Wall of South Vietnam stretches to Helan Mountain in the east and Yabulai Mountain in the west, covering an area of about 30000 square kilometers

Tengger Desert is one of the four deserts in China. The Great Wall of South Vietnam stretches to Helan Mountain in the east and Yabulai Mountain in the west, covering an area of about 30000 square kilometers. The Badain Jilin Desert is the fourth largest desert in the world, with an area of 47000 square kilometers, located in the western part of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In Minqin County, sandwiched between these two major deserts, facing water scarcity, the country has built the largest artificial desert reservoir in Asia: the Hongyashan Reservoir. Let the desolate desert and Gobi shimmer with blue waves, attracting the sound of a hundred birds.

Hongyashan Reservoir, located in Minqin County in the northeast of Wuwei City, is in the middle and lower reaches of Shiyang River. It is about 3km away from Tengger Desert in the east, 5km away from Badain Jaran Desert in the west, and desert and saline alkali land in the north. It is dry all the year round, without vegetation coverage, and the mountain rocks are bare and desolate. Building a reservoir here was a bold idea back then, and it was surveyed and designed in 1957. In October 1958, the Hongyashan Reservoir began construction.

Construction of Hongyashan Reservoir

Construction of Hongyashan Reservoir3.75

The reservoir foundation project was basically completed in 1960. Starting from January of this year, winter water storage has reached a corresponding capacity of 37 million cubic meters. It was basically completed in 1966 and completed acceptance in July 1966. However, the initially constructed reservoir was still incomplete in all aspects, and later underwent two phases of renovation. By 1997, the construction of the Hongyashan Reservoir was officially completed, spanning nearly 40 years with a total investment of approximately 30 million RMB, making it a miracle in the desert.

In 1997, the construction of the Hongyashan Reservoir was officially completed.

Afterwards, it went through the stages of expansion and reinforcement, danger removal and reinforcement, and elevation and expansion. The storage capacity of the reservoir has increased from 99 million cubic meters to 148 million cubic meters, with a flood regulation capacity of 25.03 million cubic meters, a water area of 25 square kilometers, and a storage area of 15 square kilometers. The maximum storage capacity is 107 million cubic meters, which has increased from medium to large (II) type. What is the concept of 107 million cubic meters? The storage capacity of Hangzhou West Lake is 10.3 million cubic meters, and the storage capacity of Hongyashan Reservoir is approximately equal to the storage capacity of 10 West Lake reservoirs.

During and after the construction of the reservoir, there are still two major problems to face: firstly, it is located between two major deserts. When a strong sandstorm passes by, a large amount of wind and sand not only damages the reservoir dam, but also greatly reduces the reservoir capacity. Therefore, planting trees to control sand has become a top priority. So in the 40 years from 1958 to 1997, generations of hardworking Minqin people used wheat straw to fix sand in the desert around the reservoir area, and planted a large number of plants such as Haloxylon ammodendron, red poplar, and sand jujube to prevent sand, in order to improve the ecological environment around the reservoir area.

The second is that the source of water for the Hongyashan Reservoir is the Shiyang River, the third largest water system in Gansu Province. After the completion of the reservoir, it began to intercept and store water. But from the 1950s to 2000, unexpected things happened, with an average annual decrease of 10 million cubic meters in the inflow of the Shiyang River, which was far from meeting the normal water demand of Minqin. The reservoir had been in a state of "hunger and thirst" and even dried up. Moreover, Qingtu Lake, which also uses the Shiyang River as its water source, is slowly drying up.

Watching the vegetation around Qingtu Lake disappear, Minqin County, surrounded by two major deserts, is facing threats, and groundwater is being elevated to accelerate evaporation, exacerbating the phenomenon of land salinization. Since 2001, water has been transferred from the Yellow River 260 kilometers east of the Hongyashan Reservoir every year, and after multi-level irrigation, it is transported to the reservoir. According to the Minqin County Water Affairs Bureau, since the first diversion of water from the Yellow River in 2001, nearly 1.1 billion cubic meters of Yellow River water have been imported into the Minqin Oasis, and the water transport volume has been increasing year by year. Starting from 2007, the Hongyashan Reservoir has changed from a former water intake for production to a priority regulating valve for ensuring ecological water use.

Since 2007, the Hongyashan Reservoir has become a priority regulating valve for ensuring ecological water use.

Starting from the autumn of 2010, the Hongyashan Reservoir began to discharge ecological water into Qingtu Lake located downstream of the Shiyang River. By 2017, Qingtu Lake had formed a water surface of 26.6 square kilometers, reappearing with rippling blue waves and lush reeds.

The Hongyashan Reservoir has become a large-scale reservoir that takes into account comprehensive benefits such as irrigation, flood control, and water supply. It mainly undertakes the irrigation tasks of 13 townships, 2 state-owned agricultural and forestry farms, farmland, and ecological and economic forests and grass in the Hongyashan Irrigation District. At the same time, it is responsible for transporting 31.8 million cubic meters of ecological water to Qingtu Lake every year. And because it changes the environmental landscape of nature and has a certain impact on the ecological environment, there are still many controversies about this project.

However, the controversy belongs to controversy, and the construction of reservoirs also greatly helps to improve local people's livelihoods. Now Minqin County has more and more oases, including the hometown of Chinese mutton sheep, the hometown of Chinese honeydew melon, the hometown of Chinese Ginseng fruit, and the hometown of Chinese fennel. The change of environment has brought considerable tourism benefits to Minqin people.

Bird watching in Hongyashan Reservoir

Every year from April to October, it is the most beautiful season for the Hongyashan Reservoir, attracting many photography enthusiasts to come and watch birds. And now in the Hongya Mountain Reservoir, the number of birds that inhabit it is also increasing year by year. There are many birds, including the national first-class protected animals, the Chinese mermaid, the national second-class protected animals, the white swan, the black stork, the bean goose, the cormorant, the white egret, the heron, the red duck, the spotted duck, the red billed gull, the white tailed sea eagle, the crested grebe, and so on. During the spring and summer seasons, the maximum number of birds gathered here can reach tens of thousands. In recent years, there have also been statistics from the upstream and downstream management and protection departments of the Hongyashan Reservoir. With the continuous improvement of the reservoir's ecological environment, the maximum number of birds in the reservoir area can reach over 100 or 40000, making it a paradise for birds to inhabit.

The number of birds inhabiting the Hongyashan Reservoir is increasing year by year.

According to birdwatchers, birdwatchers are most concerned about the number of bird species, and there is a saying that "one good bird is better than ten". "Good bird" refers to rare birds that are rarely seen on weekdays, and it is also a pleasure to know a new bird species.

According to birdwatchers who come here, there are several observation platforms built on the dam in the reservoir area. Although they are relatively quiet, they are not facing a gathering place for birds and are only suitable for panoramic viewing. The best location for bird watching is around the water inlet, located on the north side of the Shiyang River National Wetland Park in Minqin, Gansu. Here, with long flowing streams, lush reeds, and plump fish and shrimp, a large number of migratory birds gather and shuttle here, either feeding or hanging in the air, revealing various interesting "eating habits". There are also different flying postures of various birds, flying up and down. There are also many birds breeding here.

Here, you can see birds of prey such as falcons, such as large falcons with white tails, which look very fierce and like to come and go alone. There is also the white tailed sea eagle, which is a relatively rare large raptor, also known as the Yao Ming, Yellow billed Sea Eagle, or Sesame Eagle. It is naturally fierce and likes to eat fish. With its strong flying ability, it can fly low above the water surface and catch fish sensitively. The white tailed sea eagle disappeared in the northwest of China in the 1990s. Their reappearance now indicates that the population of this species has recovered. There are also many gentle birds, flocking in groups, showcasing their charm to the fullest, and their crisp chirping sounds grow from far to near, from small to large. Some of these birds are visible year-round, while others can only be seen at a certain time.

Desert oasis, rippling blue waves, a hundred birds singing together

It's best to watch birds when the weather is sunny. People carefully select viewing locations, and the "long barrel" of camera lenses are already aiming, freezing, and discovering the beautiful shadows of birds. There is a sudden burst of shutter sound to capture the most wonderful moments. This love for birdwatching and curiosity about nature allow these birdwatchers to travel through river valleys and deserts, exploring nature day by day without fatigue.

In addition to bird watching, you can also go to the "Julong Pavilion", look up at the red cliffs of the mountains, look up at the vast expanse of blue waves in the reservoir, and overlook the vast desert in the distance. Every time the water is released, the river flows straight down from the water conveyance tunnel, and the Hongyashan Reservoir is magnificent. There is also a cruise ship here, where you can swim on the lake surface and enjoy the sparkling lake light connecting with the desolate sand dunes in the distance.

Desert oasis, rippling blue waves, a hundred birds singing together

(Editor: Sure enough)

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