Drought Journal Entry
Yangtze River Hits Record Low (January 28, 2008)
Map shows path of the Yangtze River, the longest in Asia. The river is considered the dividing line between northern and southern China. Wikipedia.
The water level along part of the Yangtze River hit a record low this month. In the major port city of Hankou in central Hubei Province, the river is lower than it's been in 140 years.
The Yangtze is the longest river in Asia. It's both an important water source and shipping lane serving about 400 million people across the length of China.
Dropping water levels are making it a real nightmare to navigate a ship across the river. Since October, more than forty ships have run aground in the once-mighty river.
This year, the dry season started a month earlier than expected and rainfall has been scarce. The lack of rain follows a bad water year last year when drought hit hard in southern and southwestern China.
Some scientists say the Three Gorges Dam along the Yangtze adds to the problem. The dam was built to crank out electricity and help control summer floods. River officials say it's also led to a steep drop in the Yangtze's flow downstream. The dam has been blamed for a variety of other problems including landslides, erosion, pollution, rat invasions, and the extinction of the Yangtze dolphin.
