Reclamation and River Training in the Qiantang Estuary

Abstract

The Qiantang Estuary, with an upstream boundary at the tidal limit near the Fuchunjiang hydro-power station and a downstream boundary at the mouth of Hangzhou Bay, is a macro-tidal estuary that is world-renowned for the magnificent tidal bore in the estuarine stretch between Wenyan and Ganpu. It lies south of the Changjiang River Estuary and north of the hilly region of eastern Zhejiang. The rich sediment supply from the Changjiang River and the coastal regions of the East China Sea has formed a vast area of coastal plains on both banks. The plain at the north bank, known as the Taihu Lake Plain, is connected with the Changjiang delta; the plain at the south bank is the Xiaoshan-Shaoxing-Ningbo plain (Fig. 1). The total area of the plains stretching from both banks is about 50,000 km². The land is fertile, has well developed transportation systems, developed production, a prosperous economy, and a galaxy of talent in Chinese history. The evolution of the estuary has combined natural and cultural processes resulting in the construction of an artificial coastline. This artificial coastline reflects the development of the area’s social economy and the progress of science and technology. In order to understand the historical development of the area it is helpful to review the interaction of man and nature.