The Zhanghe River is located in the central part of Hubei Province, 18 kilometers east of Jingmen City. Construction started in July 1958 and was completed in 1966. The reservoir dam is located in Zhanghe Town (Yandun Town), Jingmen City, at the intersection of the mountainous area in northwest Hubei and the Jianghan Plain. The reservoir controls a basin area of ??2,212 square kilometers, accounting for 74.5% of the Zhanghe River basin area. Let's take a closer look with me.

Introduction

The Zhanghe Reservoir is a reservoir group formed by building a dam on the Zhanghe River to block the east branch of the Juzhanghe River, a tributary on the north bank of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. It passes through three sections of open channels. Connected in series as a whole, it is the largest reservoir under the jurisdiction of Hubei Province, one of the well-known artificial reservoirs in China, one of the nine large reservoir irrigation areas of more than 2 million acres in China, and an important commercial grain base in Hubei Province.

Natural environment

The watershed where the reservoir is located belongs to pre-Quaternary strata and Quaternary strata. The reservoir hub is located in the core of the syncline composed of sand and shale. The exposed strata in the watershed and reservoir irrigation areas are relatively simple, and there are no destructive earthquake records in history. The geology of the dam area is mainly sandstone and claystone accumulated in the Jurassic inland lake phase, with a small amount of sulfur shale and coal seams. The lithology is soft and semi-hard rock with poor weather resistance. The reservoir receives many tributaries, as well as a few undercurrents and cave springs. There are 59 tributaries with a length of more than 5 kilometers, and 5 tributaries with a drainage area of ??more than 100 square kilometers include Mingyangdong River, Xiaozhang River, Maoping River, Dingjia River and Qianjia River. The incoming water from the reservoir is very unstable, with the flow rate only 2 to 3 cubic meters per second in the dry season and up to 300 to 1,000 cubic meters per second in the flood season. The Zhanghe Reservoir is located in a subtropical monsoon climate zone, with an average of more than 2,000 hours of sunshine per year. The multi-year average temperature is 15 to 16 degrees Celsius, with an extreme maximum temperature of 40.8 degrees Celsius, occurring in July; an extreme minimum temperature of -11 degrees Celsius, occurring in January; and a frost-free period of 250 to 270 days. The multi-year average annual precipitation is 1074 mm, concentrated from April to September, accounting for about 80% of the annual precipitation. Interannual precipitation varies greatly. Taking Xueping Station in the reservoir area as an example, the maximum annual precipitation is 1586.9 mm (1964) and the minimum is 697.3 mm (1972).

Reasons for construction

The Zhanghe River is the east branch of the Juzhang River, a larger tributary in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. In ancient times, it was also called Jianghan. Zuo Zhuan said: "Jianghan, Juzhang, and Chu are also the hope." ?. It originates from Jingshan Mountain, with abundant rainfall in the upper reaches. The average water inflow above the dam site for many years is about 840 million cubic meters. Before the construction of the reservoir, whenever there were heavy rains or flash floods, the two banks would often burst and cause disasters, which would increase the flood pressure on the Yangtze River and seriously affect the safety of the Jingjiang embankment. Historical records indicate that in the 100 years from the 29th year of Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty (1849 AD) to 1949, there were 50 floods in Japan. However, on the east bank of the Zhang River, where flooding is frequent, there is a large area of ??hilly land that suffers from water shortages and drought every year, making it difficult for people and animals to drink water. It is often seen in local chronicles: "Drought, many people die". According to the analysis of historical hydrological data, the frequency of drought in the Zhanghe Irrigation Area is extremely high. Major droughts occur about twice every ten years, moderate droughts occur twice every five years, and droughts almost occur every five years. Every year. There is such a folk song circulating in the irrigation area: "The water flows in the river, the people are sad on the bank, the dry land smokes, and there is no harvest in nine out of ten years." The endless floods and droughts in old China were unable to be cured, and the people suffered unbearably. The long-cherished wish to control the Juzhang River for many years could not be realized. After the founding of New China, the Party and the People's Government paid great attention to the development and management of the Juzhang River. From 1952 to 1954, floods and droughts caused continuous damage, and the cadres and masses' desire to control the Zhanghe River became more urgent. From 1953 to 1957, the Provincial Water Resources Department organized forces to conduct repeated surveys and surveys on the hydrology, topography, and geology of the Juzhang River. Jing proposed the idea of ??building Zhanghe water conservancy project. In November 1957, at the Provincial Water Conservancy Conference, Governor Zhang Tixue proposed the construction of the Zhanghe Reservoir. In February 1958, Qi Shaochuan and Xu Jinbiao, deputy directors of the Provincial Department of Water Resources, together with Secretary of the Jingzhou Prefectural Committee Yu Xiaopeng, Deputy Commissioner of the Jingzhou Office Rao Mintai and a group of engineering and technical personnel went to the site to inspect, select the reservoir dam site, and discuss the project. scale. In early May, the Hubei Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee held an on-site water conservancy meeting in Suixian County, at which the construction of the Zhanghe Reservoir was officially decided. On June 5, with the approval of the Hubei Provincial People's Committee, the Zhanghe Water Conservancy Project General Headquarters was established, and Liang Jiurang, deputy secretary of the Jingzhou Prefectural Committee, was appointed as party committee secretary, and Rao Mintai, deputy commissioner of the Jingzhou Special Office, was appointed as the general commander. From June 9 to the end of June, cadres from the headquarters, the Zhanghe Design Group of the Provincial Water Conservancy Survey and Design Institute, the construction technicians of the Provincial Water Conservancy Department Engineering Group 1, and migrant workers from Jingmen County successively entered the construction site. On July 1, the first shot of construction of the Guanyin Temple Diversion Tunnel was fired.

Construction History

The Zhanghe Reservoir is large in scale and has an arduous task. The hub consists of 5 dams, 9 gates, 3 sections of open channels and 2 power stations. The irrigation area channels are divided into 9 levels, with various There are more than 15,000 buildings. It was indeed very difficult to start the construction of such a large project in 1958, which was mainly reflected in the following aspects: first, the country's financial and material resources were difficult at that time; second, the construction technical force was relatively weak; third, the construction period was threatened by floods and the situation was grim. .

However, under the leadership of party committees at all levels, with a high degree of enthusiasm and self-sacrifice for socialist construction, 1 field in 5 counties, including Jingmen, Jiangling, Zhongxiang, Dangyang, Qianjiang, and Shayang Farm, and the vast number of cadres and masses from relevant units who came to support They devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the construction of the Zhanghe Reservoir. They rushed to sign up voluntarily to participate in the war, regardless of remuneration, and worked tirelessly to fight day and night on the construction site. Some farmers go out with their whole families and don't go home during the Spring Festival. Cadres mingle with the masses, eating from the same pot and living in the same straw hut. For six of the eight years of construction, Rao Mintai, the commander-in-chief, spent New Year's Eve with migrant workers on the construction site. During the construction period, up to 133,000 migrant workers were employed, presenting a majestic scene of cannons shaking the ground, dust covering the sky, huge crowds of people, and majestic mountains and rivers. The construction site competition, learning, rushing, helping, and super labor competition are getting higher and higher. During the construction process, the cadres and the masses carried forward the revolutionary spirit of not being afraid of hardship and not being afraid of death. From 1958 to 1966, more than 150 special labor models such as Lu Mingying, Hu Yuzhen, and Lei Chaoyou emerged, 5 of whom attended the National Youth Socialist Construction Activists Conference and the Militia Activists Conference. More than 200 outstanding sons and daughters gave their precious lives on the construction site. The construction of the Zhanghe Reservoir project was the most tense and arduous in the Guanyinsi Dam. In February 1959, at the critical moment when the dam was competing for the 105-meter elevation, the diversion tunnel collapsed and blocked, the discharge volume continued to decrease, and the reservoir water level rose, forcing the dam to Construction according to simple section. In November of the same year, the diversion tunnel was forced to be blocked in advance because the rock was broken and it was not fully lined. There was a risk of another collapse at any time. The original escape elevation of 105 meters was changed to 109 meters, making the task even more difficult. In February 1960, because the open channel was not dug through, the dam continued to gain an additional 120 meters of elevation based on the simple section, and the excavation of the open channel was stepped up. In order to get the project out of danger, 100,000 migrant workers persisted in the construction during the Spring Festival, working day and night under the stars and the moon. It was not until late June that the tension on the hub project eased. The canal project is particularly difficult for the main, third and fourth trunk canals. The main canal with a total length of 18 kilometers was filled with 7 dams and 6 high ridges were excavated. Among them, the Zaoshudian canal section was entirely made of expanded soil. It collapsed many times during excavation and had to be converted into a caisson. The upper and lower sections of Qingshui Bridge are both made of limestone, and explosives were used to open the way. The total length of the four main canals is 173 kilometers, with 4 tunnels to be dug, 8 aqueducts to be built, 97 hills to be cut and 87 to be filled. The 1,138-meter-long Huya Pass Tunnel has complex geology, many faults, and extremely difficult construction. The 825-meter-long Longquan Aqueduct across the urban area of ??Jingmen is operated halfway up the mountain. Most of the main canals are excavated in winding mountains. The project is very huge. The three main canal irrigation areas are large and the canal system is complex. Earthwork tasks account for half of the entire canal engineering volume. In addition to being responsible for the main hub project tasks, Jingmen County also organizes all laborers who can go to the construction site to excavate channels. Huge labor was invested in the construction of the Zhanghe Reservoir. The reason why the Zhanghe Project can be constructed under difficult conditions with reasonable design and good project quality is mainly due to the fact that under the leadership of the provincial and prefectural committees, the project party committee adopted a decision-making method that combined cadres, technical personnel and the masses. On the basis of scientific laws, the style of hard work and independence is carried forward.

Reservoir characteristics

The Zhanghe Reservoir consists of two reservoirs, Guanyinsi Reservoir and Jigongjian Reservoir, connected by an open channel in the middle. Guanyinsi Reservoir intercepts the upper reaches of the Zhang River main stream and most of its tributaries, and controls a drainage area of ??1,957 square kilometers, but has a small storage capacity; Jigongjian Reservoir intercepts the upper section of the Juixi River, a tributary of the Zhang River, and controls a drainage area of ??255 square kilometers, but has a large storage capacity. In order to adjust the contradiction between the water area and storage capacity of the two reservoirs, three open channels, Qingjing'an, Huangjiachong and Yaojiachong, were excavated across the watershed between the two reservoirs to connect the two reservoirs to form a whole. The reservoir is a multi-year regulation reservoir with a normal water level of 123.5 meters, a flood season water level of 122.6 meters, and a dead water level of 113 meters; the design flood level is 127.51 meters for the Guanyinsi Reservoir and 124.3 meters for the Jigongjian Reservoir. The total storage capacity of the reservoir is 2.035 billion cubic meters, including 343 million cubic meters for flood diversion, 940 million cubic meters for active storage, and 865 million cubic meters for dead storage. It is a river-type reservoir with a backwater length of 62 kilometers and a water surface area of ??105.27 square kilometers. Characteristics of water and sand in the reservoir The upstream of the reservoir is located in the heavy rain zone of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, with a large amount of water. In 1958, the maximum peak flow measured at the Matouzhai Hydrological Station was 3,540 cubic meters per second. According to the actual measurement data of Yandun Station from 1962 to 1979, the multi-year average annual water volume of Zhanghe Reservoir is 779 million cubic meters, the maximum annual water volume is 1.5 billion cubic meters (1963), and the minimum annual water volume is 307 million cubic meters (1972). The forest coverage rate reaches more than 38%, which has a significant regulating effect on runoff, floods, and soil erosion. The average annual sediment load of the reservoir over the years is 126,000 cubic meters.

Main buildings

The Zhanghe Reservoir project buildings are divided into two parts: the hub and the irrigation area. The hub project buildings include four barrage dams and auxiliary dams including Guanyin Temple, Jigongjian, Linjiagang and Wangjiawan, three open water delivery channels at Qingjing'an, Huangjiachuan and Yaojiachong, Chenjiachong and Matouzhai spillways, Cuijiagou Extra spillway, Yandun Canal Head Gate, Xujia Xiwan Gate, Xigan Gate, Zhouhe Gate and hydropower station, etc. The hub project is distributed on the southwest side of the reservoir, starting from Guanyin Temple in the west and ending at Yandunji in the southeast, stretching for more than 30 kilometers. The irrigation area is bounded by the Han River in the east, starting from Juhe River in the west, reaching Changhu Lake in the south, and Yicheng in the north. It spans four counties (cities): Jingmen, Jiangling, Zhongxiang and Dangyang, with a natural area of ??5,000 square kilometers.

1. Dam and auxiliary dam. The dam site of Guanyinsi Dam is located 2.5 kilometers below Guanyin Temple in the middle reaches of the Zhanghe River. It is a clay sloping wall soil composite dam. The dam axis is 630 meters long, the dam crest is 8 meters wide, the maximum dam height is 66.5 meters, and the dam crest elevation is 129 meters. The top elevation of the wave wall is 130.2 meters. Jigongjian Dam is located near Jigongjian Mountain, 11.5 kilometers northeast of the Cuixi River. It is a clay sloping wall soil composite dam with a maximum dam height of 58 meters, a dam axis length of 1015 meters, a dam crest elevation of 126.5 meters, and a wave wall crest elevation 127.7 meters. Linjiagang Dam is built on the Linjiagang gully between the two main dams of Guanyin Temple and Jigongjian. It is a clay sloping wall weathered rock material substitute dam. The dam axis is 330 meters long, the dam crest is 6 meters wide, and the maximum dam height is 25 meters. , the dam top elevation is 128 meters, and the wave wall top elevation is 129.2 meters. Wangjiawan Dam is located in Wangjiawan between the two main dams of Guanyin Temple and Jigongjian. The dam type is the same as Linjiagang Dam. The dam crest elevation is 126.5 meters and the wave wall crest elevation is 127.7 meters. The auxiliary dam is located in the Yiyandunji area of ??Wangjiawan. The maximum dam height is 15.7 meters, the dam top elevation is 126.5 meters, and the wave wall top elevation is 127.7 meters.

2. Open water delivery channel. The three open troughs of Qingjing'an, Huangjiachong and Yaojiachong are connected end to end, with a total length of 5,500 meters. The entrance elevation of the bottom of the trough is 103 meters, and the outlet is 102 meters. When checking the water level, the water passing capacity is 3,300 cubic meters per second.

3. Spillway and emergency spillway. The Chenjiachong spillway located in the Guanyinsi Dam area has a maximum discharge volume of 4580 cubic meters per second; the Matouzhai spillway has a maximum discharge volume of 3683 cubic meters per second; the Cuijiagou spillway is an open channel with a maximum discharge volume of 2485 cubic meters per second.

4. Hub diversion gate. The maximum diversion capacity of the Yandun Canal head gate (i.e., the main canal inlet gate) is 131 cubic meters per second. The second, third, and fourth main canals all divert water from this gate; the Xujia Xiwan Gate has a maximum diversion flow of 8 cubic meters per second; the Xigan Gate The water diversion flow is 2 cubic meters per second; the Zhouhe Gate water diversion flow is 1 cubic meter per second.

5. Hydropower station. The installed capacity of 4 units of Guanyinsi Hydropower Station is 1920 kilowatts: 2 units of Jigongjian Hydropower Station are 250 kilowatts and 1 unit is 26 kilowatts.

6. Irrigation canal system. The Zhanghe Reservoir irrigation canal system has 1 main canal, 5 main canals, 2 branch canals, 15 branch canals, 35 branch canals, and 78 branch canals.

Development and construction

Development goals and main benefits: The upper reaches of the Zhanghe Reservoir receive heavy rainfall and the river course is steep and curved. Whenever there are heavy rains, high winds and strong waves, flooding often occurs. The left bank of the Zhang River crosses the watershed of the basin, with a length of about 85 kilometers from north to south and a width of about 60 kilometers from east to west, with a total area of ??5543.93 square kilometers. It is a hilly and plain area, including Jingmen, Zhongxiang, Jiangling and Dangyang counties. The elevation is between 12 and 25.7 meters. The land is vast and the soil is fertile. It has been a famous agricultural area since ancient times. The mountains in this area are gentle, the gullies are short and shallow, and droughts occur when there is no sunshine or rain. In 1958, the construction of the Zhanghe Reservoir began. The main functions of the reservoir are irrigation, water supply, and flood control, as well as comprehensive benefits such as power generation, shipping, and breeding. The reservoir began to be irrigated in 1961, and fully realized its benefits in 1966, supplying water to 173,700 hectares of farmland in the irrigation area, and providing production and domestic water for industrial enterprises and urban areas such as Jingmen refineries and thermal power plants. The total grain output in the irrigated area has increased from 347 million kilograms before irrigation started to 1.4 billion kilograms, providing 500 million kilograms of commercial grain every year, becoming an important commercial grain base in Hubei Province. As of 1995, the Zhanghe River hub had intercepted 19 flood peaks of more than 1,000 cubic meters per second in the upstream, including 9 flood peaks of about 3,000 cubic meters per second, staggering the flood peaks of the Juhe and Zhanghe rivers, reducing the flood control pressure on the Jingjiang embankment, and protecting the downstream About 20,000 hectares of farmland and 150,000 people. Two power stations were built, with 7 installed machines and a capacity of 2,446 kilowatts; from 1963 to 1985, the average annual power generation was 1.7 million kilowatt hours. When the reservoir's normal water level is 12.5 meters, the breeding water area is 10,400 hectares. At the end of the 20th century, 9,000 hectares of water surface could be cultivated, 467 hectares of intensive fish ponds were built, 13 hectares of miscellaneous fish ponds were built, there were 2 fishing grounds and 1 breeding farm. After the completion of the reservoir, 88 kilometers of deep-water channels have been opened in the reservoir area. The reservoir area is connected by mountains and rivers and has beautiful scenery. It is one of the tourist and summer resorts in Hubei Province.

Resettlement

The submerged area of ??Zhanghe Reservoir is 140.86 square kilometers, most of which are in Jingmen City, and the rest are in Dangyang City, Yuan'an County and Nanzhang County. *** The submerged cultivated land Approximately 1,750 hectares, 24,087 houses, and 14,348 immigrants. The first resettlement method is to relocate in an organized manner, the second is to relocate on site, and the third is to disperse and join the queue or seek refuge with relatives and friends.

Tourism resources

The Zhanghe Reservoir has a pleasant climate, magnificent engineering, wide waters, vast smoke, beautiful lakes and mountains, and picturesque scenery. It is a well-known provincial scenic spot. The cultural landscape and engineering landscape in the scenic area complement each other, which is fascinating and beautiful.

The tourist area Zhanghe Scenic Area has seven tourist areas and 16 scenic spots, including land, water and air amusement park, Hongshan Ancient Temple, Guanyin Island, ten major hub projects, Doushiya, Wufeng Village, Jiji Gong Jian?, Jijiagou, Lotte Chu, Frog Rock, Laolong Cave and other dozens of tourist attractions.

The dams and auxiliary dams are like giant dragons soaring over the water, or coiling around the mountains, or lying on the plains. They are majestic and magnificent; the open channel culvert gates are like a rainbow spitting out Ji, some are elegant and soft, some are stretched and unrestrained, colorful and colorful. charming. Viewing the steep rock cliffs and visiting Guanyin Island will remind people of a string of magical legends about Guanyin Bodhisattva's visit to the Zhanghe River; climbing Jigongjian and looking at Chaqi Ridge will remind people of many heroic stories about Wu Shenggong leaping on his horse with his sword; climbing Wufeng Peak The village, where Panletian is located, makes people seem to see clouds and smoke rising in the long river of history. There are also Longkou Bay, Frog Rock and Dufugou. Each scenic spot has a touching story. There are also many folklores circulating in the Zhanghe Scenic Area. It is said that Guanyin Bodhisattva once visited here. Therefore, there are many scenic spots named after Guanyin Bodhisattva in the scenic area, such as Guanyin Island and the first double-faced Guanyin in the Central Plains. People also say that Guan Yu and Du Fu were also deeply attracted by the scenery of the Zhanghe River, so they left their footprints and beautiful legends in today's Jigongjian, Chaqiling and Dufugou. Today, with the hard work of the Zhanghe people, the scenic spot has become a paradise on earth, where tourists can explore, remember the ancients, visit Buddha and worship gods, and have leisure and entertainment. Wang Zhihuan, a famous poet in ancient times, once praised in his poem "Feasting Words": "The long embankment has green spring water, and it flows into the Zhang River." Don't listen to the voices urging you to go to the boat. There are no boats in the shallows of Peach Creek. ?In short, today's scenic spots have beautiful mountains and clear waters, pleasant climate, and picturesque scenery. There are mountains and waters in the paintings, and there are paintings in the landscapes and waters. It has become a resort for tourists from north to south.

Scenic Characteristics The beauty of Zhanghe River lies in its water. It is clear, clear and transparent, as crystal clear as a mirror. Looking down into the water, weeping willows on the shore, fish swimming in the water, birds in the sky, and clouds and sky under the water are all vivid and clearly visible. It is soft, the waves are slightly wrinkled, and it is as soft as boneless. When you are in the water, you can escape the summer heat and have no worries. You can caress the water and compose songs, with a thousand tender feelings. It has a unique charm. It is pure, the water quality is pure, the taste is pure, you can sip the water carefully, it moistens the throat silently, the taste is endless, the ileus is irritating, and the mind is suddenly opened, and the taste is always in your heart. The beauty of Zhanghe lies in the mountains. There are winding green mountains on both sides of the reservoir. Looking at the peaks from a distance, it is like an ink painting painted on the horizon by a master of painting, with thick and light strokes, and a profound artistic conception. Stepping into the painting, you can be immersed in the scene, picking cuckoos, chasing hares, listening to the flute playing, and watching cattle and sheep play. Maybe you will also feel the eternal feelings and feel all kinds of emotions. The beauty of the Zhanghe River lies in the mountains, the water, and even more in the harmonious unity of the mountains and rivers. There are green mountains on both sides of the bank and a river of green water. The mountains are handsome and the water is soft, complementing each other and creating an interesting contrast. There are more than 130 isolated islands and peninsulas in the library, some of which are named, and some of which cannot be named. Some are located near mountains and rivers, some are carried by water, some are tall and straight, or some are overflowing with fruity fragrance, each with its own unique mood. Different attitudes and styles.

The best tourist season is that the Zhanghe Scenic Area has beautiful natural scenery, many water cultural relics, deep forests and dense trees, and a pleasant climate. There are flowers in spring and fruits in autumn, and you can escape the heat in summer and enjoy snow in winter.

Transportation Route Tourists from outside Hubei Province can first arrive at Jingmen, Hubei Province. Tourists arriving at Jingmen Railway Station can take bus No. 3 or No. 1 to Shuntong Passenger Station, and then there are buses to Zhanghe in the station. ; For tourists who arrive at Jingmen Long-distance Passenger Transport Station, after exiting the long-distance bus station, walk to the right along the road for about 5 minutes to reach the "Shuntong Passenger Terminal". Just find the passenger bus to Zhanghe in the station. You can also take bus No. 4 to Haihui Middle School Station.