Yu County Huliu River Wetland Park

Yu County Huliu River Wetland Park

Yu County Huliu River Wetland Park

The Huliu River is not only the mother river of Yu County in Zhangjiakou, but also an important strategic water source for the Zhangjiakou region. The Huliu River Wetland Ecological Restoration and Protection Project is located within Yu County, Hebei Province. Its scope includes the main channel of the Huliu River to the east of Yu County’s urban area, as well as surrounding areas such as riverbanks, saline-alkali land, grasslands, and forested land, covering a total area of nearly 23,000 mu.

The Huliu River is a tributary of the Sanggan River, which belongs to the Yongding River system in the Haihe River Basin. It is the largest river in Yu County, originating from Wanghu Village in Guangling County, Shanxi Province, and flowing into Yu County, Hebei Province, via Nuanquan Town. It then passes through Yangyuan County and Zhuolu County before joining the Guanting Reservoir, a crucial water source for Beijing.

The terrain around the Huliu River wetland in Yu County is mostly flat farmland with high levels of human activity. As a result, large areas of wetland resources have been developed or occupied, leading to a reduction in wetland water bodies. Riverbanks have either silted up or been reclaimed, and habitats for animals—especially birds—have shrunk and become fragmented, scattered among farmland and construction sites. This has directly led to a decline in biodiversity in the areas surrounding the Huliu River, with many species that were once common now rarely seen. Currently, activities such as sand mining and illegal planting in the river channel are causing significant damage to the wetland. In addition, the lack of a wetland management mechanism and secure funding for conservation presents major challenges to wetland protection.

The Huliu River Wetland Ecological Restoration and Protection Project is located within Yu County, Hebei Province. Its scope includes the main channel of the Huliu River to the east of Yu County’s urban area, as well as surrounding areas such as riverbanks, saline-alkali land, grasslands, and forested land, covering a total area of nearly 23,000 mu. This project will be carried out over a two-year construction period from August 2017 to March 2019. Measures including pollution interception and treatment, river dredging, and environmental landscape improvement will be implemented to protect water quality. Seven bird habitats, two wildlife rescue centers, and four artificial fish breeding stations will be constructed to protect wildlife habitats. At the same time, efforts will also be made to restore and rehabilitate water bodies and riparian vegetation.

After the completion of the Yu County Huliu River Wetland Restoration and Protection Project, a series of initiatives—including vegetation restoration and water quality protection—will improve aquatic ecological processes, enhance connections among aquatic organisms, enrich aquatic biological resources, boost the river’s self-purification capacity, elevate the water quality of the Huliu River, and help ensure the water supply needs of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.