Hubei Jinsha Lake National Wetland Park

Hubei Jinsha Lake National Wetland Park

Hubei Jinsha Lake National Wetland Park is a national-level wetland park.

Hubei Jinsha Lake National Wetland Park is situated in the middle reaches of the Daoxi River, a first-order tributary of the Yangtze River, on the western outskirts of Hong’an County. It has a planned total area of 1,903.37 hectares, including 1,590.69 hectares of wetland. The wetland park is divided into five major functional zones: wetland conservation area, wetland restoration and reconstruction area, science education and publicity area, wetland rational utilization area, and management service area. Jinsha Lake is a composite wetland-forest ecosystem consisting of inflowing streams, reservoirs, marshes, floodplain wetlands, sandbars, and surrounding forest. As an artificial reservoir wetland, its unique environment supports rich wildlife resources. There are 318 plant species from 205 genera and 96 families, including one type, three subtypes, and 17 formations of aquatic vegetation. The park is home to 77 bird species from 34 families and 14 orders, with 30 species closely associated with wetlands, making it an important stopover along the Siberia–Australia migratory route. Protected animals under national second-class protection include the black-winged kite, Eurasian spoonbill, Lady Amherst’s pheasant, Eurasian eagle-owl, mandarin duck, and pangolin. The lake has 29 native fish species (including subspecies) from 29 genera and 14 families. Cyprinidae is the most represented family, with 15 species. The Jinsha Lake bream, a unique species to the lake, has been included in the Ministry of Agriculture's germplasm resource protection list. With vast waters and a meandering shoreline, Jinsha Lake features 22 islands of various sizes, creating a distinctive landscape of river islands, layered mountains, and encompassing water and hills. The water quality meets the national Class II surface water standard year-round, and the lake serves as the drinking water source for over 200,000 residents of Hong’an County.

In December 2011, the State Forestry Administration officially approved Hong’an County to initiate the pilot project for Hubei Jinsha Lake National Wetland Park. In 2012, the Hubei Provincial Commission of Institutional Organization approved the establishment of the Hubei Jinsha Lake National Wetland Park Management Office. In January 2013, the Huanggang Municipal Commission of Institutional Organization finalized the internal structure and staffing of the Management Office. On May 7, 2013, the Hubei Jinsha Lake National Wetland Park Management Office was officially inaugurated and began operation.

The Hong’an County Party Committee and County Government have placed high importance on the construction of the wetland park. They successively established the Preparatory Leading Group and the Construction Command of Hubei Jinsha Lake National Wetland Park, investing over 60 million yuan in fiscal funds and securing an 800-million-yuan credit loan from the Agricultural Development Bank of China for the park’s development. A high-standard General Plan for Hubei Jinsha Lake National Wetland Park was formulated. The feasibility study report for the first phase of the Protection and Restoration Project was completed and included in the national 12th Five-Year Plan by the National Development and Reform Commission. The Hubei Jinsha Lake National Wetland Park Management Measures were enacted, and major pollution control projects were carried out: 77 livestock and poultry farms around the lake were dismantled, the Hongxin Chemical Plant and fluorite mines near the lake were shut down, and 14 illegally built structures in the lake area were demolished according to law. Ecological restoration projects were meticulously organized, including the repair of a 39.8-kilometer water diversion canal that replenishes approximately 20 million cubic meters of water to Jinsha Lake annually, and the restoration of over 8,000 acres of vegetation. Infrastructure development has also been steadily advanced: the main structure of the Science Monitoring Center, with a construction area of 3,000 square meters integrating management, research, monitoring, and science education, has been completed. The 525-meter-long, 50-meter-wide park entrance boulevard is largely finished. Foundational construction for three grassroots management stations has been completed, and the layout of the Wetland Science Museum and construction of the Wetland Culture Square are underway.

The Hubei Jinsha Lake National Wetland Park Management Office has earnestly fulfilled its management responsibilities by establishing cooperative relationships with the Provincial Wildlife Conservation Association, Wuhan Aquatic Plant Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Chinese Academy of Forestry, thereby improving management effectiveness. Agreements have been signed with county-level departments such as the Water Resources Bureau and Environmental Protection Bureau to monitor hydrology, water quality, meteorology, and soil within the park, sharing the results. A joint inter-departmental law enforcement and lake patrol system has been established to foster coordinated management. Co-management agreements have been signed with surrounding villages, hiring local villagers as part-time informants. Over the past three years, 45 various regulatory violations have been addressed. More than 5,000 promotional brochures have been distributed, and over 200 information boards installed. In collaboration with more than 10 departments including public security, forestry, and environmental protection, the Notice on Strengthening the Protection and Management of Jinsha Lake Wetland was issued. The “Beautiful Jinsha Lake” Photography Competition was held, multiple promotional videos were produced and aired, and a large-scale exhibition for World Wetlands Day was organized.

In April 2016, a national expert panel conducted an on-site inspection for the pilot phase of Jinsha Lake National Wetland Park. On August 16, the State Forestry Administration issued the Notice on the 2016 Pilot National Wetland Park Acceptance Results, confirming that Hubei Jinsha Lake National Wetland Park had passed the acceptance. Currently, planning and design are underway according to 5A-level scenic area standards, marking a new stage in the development of the wetland park.

Hubei Jinsha Lake National Wetland Park is located in the middle reaches of the Daoxi River, a first-order tributary of the Yangtze River, on the western outskirts of Hong’an County. It has a planned total area of 1,903.37 hectares, including 1,590.69 hectares of wetland. The wetland park is divided into five major functional zones: wetland conservation area, wetland restoration and reconstruction area, science education and publicity area, wetland rational utilization area, and management service area. Jinsha Lake is a composite wetland-forest ecosystem consisting of inflowing streams, reservoirs, marshes, floodplain wetlands, sandbars, and surrounding forest. As an artificial reservoir wetland, its unique environment supports rich wildlife resources. There are 318 plant species from 205 genera and 96 families, including one type, three subtypes, and 17 formations of aquatic vegetation. The park is home to 77 bird species from 34 families and 14 orders, with 30 species closely associated with wetlands, making it an important stopover along the Siberia–Australia migratory route. Protected animals under national second-class protection include the black-winged kite, Eurasian spoonbill, Lady Amherst’s pheasant, Eurasian eagle-owl, mandarin duck, and pangolin. The lake has 29 native fish species (including subspecies) from 29 genera and 14 families. Cyprinidae is the most represented family, with 15 species. The Jinsha Lake bream, a unique species to the lake, has been included in the Ministry of Agriculture's germplasm resource protection list. With vast waters and a meandering shoreline, Jinsha Lake features 22 islands of various sizes, creating a distinctive landscape of river islands, layered mountains, and encompassing water and hills. The water quality meets the national Class II surface water standard year-round, and the lake serves as the drinking water source for over 200,000 residents of Hong’an County.

In December 2011, the State Forestry Administration officially approved Hong’an County to initiate the pilot project for Hubei Jinsha Lake National Wetland Park. In 2012, the Hubei Provincial Commission of Institutional Organization approved the establishment of the Hubei Jinsha Lake National Wetland Park Management Office. In January 2013, the Huanggang Municipal Commission of Institutional Organization finalized the internal structure and staffing of the Management Office. On May 7, 2013, the Hubei Jinsha Lake National Wetland Park Management Office was officially inaugurated and began operation.

The Hong’an County Party Committee and County Government have placed high importance on the construction of the wetland park. They successively established the Preparatory Leading Group and the Construction Command of Hubei Jinsha Lake National Wetland Park, investing over 60 million yuan in fiscal funds and securing an 800-million-yuan credit loan from the Agricultural Development Bank of China for the park’s development. A high-standard General Plan for Hubei Jinsha Lake National Wetland Park was formulated. The feasibility study report for the first phase of the Protection and Restoration Project was completed and included in the national 12th Five-Year Plan by the National Development and Reform Commission. The Hubei Jinsha Lake National Wetland Park Management Measures were enacted, and major pollution control projects were carried out: 77 livestock and poultry farms around the lake were dismantled, the Hongxin Chemical Plant and fluorite mines near the lake were shut down, and 14 illegally built structures in the lake area were demolished according to law. Ecological restoration projects were meticulously organized, including the repair of a 39.8-kilometer water diversion canal that replenishes approximately 20 million cubic meters of water to Jinsha Lake annually, and the restoration of over 8,000 acres of vegetation. Infrastructure development has also been steadily advanced: the main structure of the Science Monitoring Center, with a construction area of 3,000 square meters integrating management, research, monitoring, and science education, has been completed. The 525-meter-long, 50-meter-wide park entrance boulevard is largely finished. Foundational construction for three grassroots management stations has been completed, and the layout of the Wetland Science Museum and construction of the Wetland Culture Square are underway.

The Hubei Jinsha Lake National Wetland Park Management Office has earnestly fulfilled its management responsibilities by establishing cooperative relationships with the Provincial Wildlife Conservation Association, Wuhan Aquatic Plant Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Chinese Academy of Forestry, thereby improving management effectiveness. Agreements have been signed with county-level departments such as the Water Resources Bureau and Environmental Protection Bureau to monitor hydrology, water quality, meteorology, and soil within the park, sharing the results. A joint inter-departmental law enforcement and lake patrol system has been established to foster coordinated management. Co-management agreements have been signed with surrounding villages, hiring local villagers as part-time informants. Over the past three years, 45 various regulatory violations have been addressed. More than 5,000 promotional brochures have been distributed, and over 200 information boards installed. In collaboration with more than 10 departments including public security, forestry, and environmental protection, the Notice on Strengthening the Protection and Management of Jinsha Lake Wetland was issued. The “Beautiful Jinsha Lake” Photography Competition was held, multiple promotional videos were produced and aired, and a large-scale exhibition for World Wetlands Day was organized.

In April 2016, a national expert panel conducted an on-site inspection for the pilot phase of Jinsha Lake National Wetland Park. On August 16, the State Forestry Administration issued the Notice on the 2016 Pilot National Wetland Park Acceptance Results, confirming that Hubei Jinsha Lake National Wetland Park had passed the acceptance. Currently, planning and design are underway according to 5A-level scenic area standards, marking a new stage in the development of the wetland park.