Historical evolution of Bailianhe Reservoir

Construction started in August 1958, and in October 1960 the dam was completed to contain floods and store water. The reservoir controls a watershed area of ??1,800 square kilometers and a total storage capacity of 1.25 billion cubic meters. It is a comprehensive utilization reservoir that mainly focuses on irrigation and power generation, as well as flood control, fish farming, and shipping. The normal water storage level is 104 meters, and the corresponding storage capacity is 800 million cubic meters. The main buildings of the hub project include dam, auxiliary dam, spillway, emergency spillway and the head of the east and west main canals. The irrigation area irrigates nearly 40,000 hectares of farmland, and the power plant has an installed capacity of 45,000 kilowatts. The area affected by flood control includes Xishui County and more than ten towns and villages, with a population of 300,000 and 290,000 acres of farmland, as well as major transportation arteries such as the Beijing-Kowloon Railway, Huanghuang Highway, and Liujie Highway, and a large number of other infrastructure facilities.

In the 1960s, the people of Huanggang worked hard and united to build a dam more than 100 meters high in the "rock shoal" where the river valley is narrow and the water flow is fast. Nowadays, Bailianhe Reservoir has become a civilized tourist attraction far and near, with unique natural scenery. The mountains beside the library are continuous, with luxuriant trees and bamboos, beautiful water and green mountains, and simple folk customs. In recent years, the large-scale Huanggang pumped storage power station has been built in Yueshan Village in Luotian, the reservoir area, which has led to great economic development in Bailian Town and Bailian Village. There are many scenic spots and historic sites in the reservoir area. Nearby are the Dawang Temple built in the Tang Dynasty, the Bailian Temple and the Xiama Temple located on the cliff. The surface of the reservoir is dotted with islands, the clear water is lingering, the fishing sails are scattered, and the smoke is vast. Sightseeing by boat on the water is like a dreamy wonderland.