Poyang Lake in Jiangxi Province is the largest freshwater lake in China and the most crucial wintering habitat for many waterbirds, including almost the entire global population of the critically endangered Siberian Crane (Leucogeranus leucogeranus). The Poyang wetlands face diverse threats including the impact of dams on the tributary rivers, sand dredging, declining water quality, encroachment around shallow edges, and more frequent droughts and floods.
From April 2014 to June 2015, the Paulson Institute worked with the International Crane Foundation, the Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve and partners to pilot management practices that would benefit both local communities and the lake’s vital natural heritage. As a result, the nature reserve established an automatic water level monitoring system and control plan for parts of the lake. The International Crane Foundation has since secured funding from the Disney Company to initiate a ten-year long-term project on conservation of Siberian Cranes and their habitats.
The Poyang Lake Water Resource Management project focused on water management for the nine sub-lakes within Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve, located in the northwest corner of the Lake and containing the most valuable waterbird habitat, especially for cranes. This project developed and piloted a water management and monitoring plan that will serve as a model for other parts of the Lake and the lake basin as a whole.
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Key activities & results
Inventory of waterbirds and habitats resources
The project team completed field sampling and observations on waterbirds, water levels, and turbidity at Dahu Chi, Sha Hu, Meixi Hu and Sixia Hu; completed a Swan Goose survey to determine its distribution, number, movement and habitats; completed field sampling and observation on zooplankton, benthos, fish, Vallisneria tubers, and waterbirds at Sha Hu, etc.
Public involvement for management scoping
The project team brought together local communities, village and township officials and reserve authorities, to discuss management of the Changhu Chi sub-Lake, including visitor and photographer management, environmental education, and water measurements and monitoring activities.
Water Management and Monitoring Plan
Based on all these activities and with close consultation and cooperation with Jiangxi Provincial Forestry Department, the project team developed the Water Management and Monitoring Plan, and completed a community survey with villagers and local government for evaluating and planning the implementation of the plan in Changhu Chi sub-lake. The Poyang Lake nature reserve has adopted part of the management plan by establishing an automatic monitoring system for water level at Meixi sub-lake and Changhu Chi sub-lake. The water level control plan was also developed and implemented for Dahu Chi and Sha Hu sub-lakes in October 2016.
Long-term conservation mechanism
As a follow-up of this project, the International Crane Foundation has secured funding from the Disney Company to initiate a ten-year long-term project on the conservation of Siberian cranes and their habitats. The project has developed a comprehensive strategy to address the threats to Siberian cranes and their habitats. For Poyang Lake, Siberian cranes’ main wintering site, the project will strengthen the management and monitoring of the sub-lake to achieve a win-win between crane conservation and economic development. The International Crane Foundation is continuing to monitor the management of the sub-lakes within Poyang Lake, and management of visitors to alleviate human disturbance to waterbirds in sub-lakes.
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