From July 22 to 23, the scientific investigation team in Lop Nur and surrounding areas tracked the Kongque River from the source to the south of Yuli County. They found that the river channel of Kongque River was dry and the gray riverbed was exposed. However, they have not reached the middle reaches of the Kongque River yet, which means the situation downstream will be even worse.

More than 50 kilometers down from the source, after crossing a large cotton farming area, the Kongque River stopped flowing. The cotton field was growing vigorously.

Similar to the Kongque River, the scientific research team found that the Daxihaizi reservoir on the Tarim River had also seen the bottom, naked with a large brown or white bottom.

The scientific research team noted that a pump in the agricultural irrigation area in the middle reaches of the Tarim River is pumping water to irrigate a large area of cotton fields. The pumping efficiency is 2000 cubic meters per hour.

According to the analysis of Dr. Lu Shanlong, the leader of the scientific research team, the dryness of Daxihaizi reservoir is due to the fact that its water volume is estimated to be intercepted by Qiala reservoir, a large reservoir in front of Daxihaizi. During the tense period of annual agricultural irrigation water demand, it is impossible for reservoirs with water to make up ecological water to the downstream, so the Tarim River is cut off early in the middle and lower reaches.

Relevant data also confirm that a large number of land development, excessive groundwater exploitation and reduction of upstream water supply jointly lead to water shortage and disconnection in the middle and lower reaches of Kongque River and Tarim River, which are two oasis ecological barrier rivers on the northeast edge of Tarim Basin. Meanwhile, to ensure the yield of cotton fields, many farmers even drilled a large number of excavator wells to take water, which exacerbated the decline of groundwater level in Kongque River and Tarim River in the absence of upstream make-up water. These factors jointly caused the double decline of surface groundwater in the middle and lower reaches of the two rivers in the irrigation season.

Translator/Holly

Original text: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/D_Kv8UAjjROFSDvfjNrsng

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