New Era China Research Tour - Yellow River Chapter | Flower Lake Butterfly Transformation
At an altitude of over 3400 meters on the plateau, the sky and earth are all boundless azure, and white clouds drift by the grasslands in the lake... Only the black necked cranes flying between the sky and earth remind you that these are all illusions of the reflection of the Flower Lake.
This is a photo taken of Huahu Lake in Ruoergai County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Xi
After more than 10 years of continuous governance, the area of Huahu Lake located in Ruoergai County, Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province has increased by more than three times, resulting in today's beautiful scenery. In the 1960s and 1970s, in order to develop animal husbandry, the local government carried out projects such as "trenching and drainage" and "seeking grasslands from swamps", which led to wetland degradation and reduced water area. The area of flower lakes gradually decreased to 215 hectares.
Since 2010, a pilot project for the restoration of Huahu Wetland has been implemented locally, and the restoration efforts have been continuously increased. The ecological dam at the outlet of Huahu has raised the water level by 52 centimeters; By providing one-time grazing ban compensation, seasonal grazing restriction and wet compensation, and grass and livestock balance compensation to herdsmen in the core area of Huahu, the contradiction between ecological protection and income increase for herdsmen has been effectively alleviated... Now, the area of Huahu has expanded to 650 hectares, and 892 hectares of marshes and wetlands around Huahu have been restored.
This is an ecological dam taken in Huahu, Ruoergai County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Xi
The environment of Huahu Lake is constantly improving and becoming more beautiful, making it an important area for many birds to inhabit, reproduce, and migrate. "In recent years, through a series of ecological restoration measures, multiple new animal species have emerged in Huahu and other areas of the Ruoergai Wetland National Nature Reserve." Zhuo Majie, a scientific research staff member of the Ruoergai Wetland National Nature Reserve Management Bureau, said that currently, the number of first-class protected animals in the reserve has increased from 9 species such as the black necked crane to 17, with the addition of Oriental white stork, colorful ibis, and other species. The number of second-class protected animals has increased from 25 to 46. The number of black necked cranes in the Ruoergai Wetland has been steadily increasing, and so far, the population of black necked cranes in the county has exceeded 2000, showing an increasing trend.
This is a photo taken of the black necked crane in Huahu Wetland, Ruoergai County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Xi
People's awareness of ecological protection is becoming stronger. Zhuoma Jie told reporters that her work includes monitoring water levels and bird protection, while local governments and the public actively protect the ecology on a wider scale. For example, the local government demolished 7 observation platforms, and local residents also cooperated in demolishing some illegal tourist buildings in the protected area. Illegal mining of peat and excavation of sand and gravel in rivers will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
This is a photo taken of Huahu Wetland in Ruoergai County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. The water from Huahu Lake flows into the main stream of the Yellow River through the Black River. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Xi
Huahu Lake is the largest lake in the Ruoergai Wetland National Nature Reserve. The butterfly transformation of Huahu Lake not only brings beautiful human scenery, but also helps the Ruoergai Wetland, an important water source conservation area in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, continuously inject clean water into the Yellow River. It is understood that the Ruoergai Wetland is the world's largest and most unique "solid plateau reservoir". After the Yellow River flows through this area and replenishes water through the wetland, the runoff of the outlet section increases by 29% in the rainy season and 45% in the dry season.
