Hunan Dingcheng Niaozhou National Wetland Park

Hunan Dingcheng Niaozhou National Wetland Park

Hunan Dingcheng Niaozhou National Wetland Park is a national wetland park.

Hunan Dingcheng Niaozhou National Wetland Park is located in Shiměitáng Town, Dingcheng District, and consists of Shácháo River, Niú'ěr Lake, aquaculture farms, rice paddies, and surrounding river embankments. Centered around the Shácháo River (the ancient flood channel of the Lishui River), which connects the Lishui River and Niú'ěr Lake, the park covers a total area of 1,641 hectares.

The Shácháo River was originally the ancient flood channel of the Lishui River. Due to national water management and resource utilization efforts, the Lishui River was diverted, resulting in the formation of the Shácháo River. In 1974, manual modifications were made, and it was also referred to as the South Main Canal. The Shácháo River is one of the two main channels in the Minzhuyangchengyuan Shahekou Irrigation and Drainage Area. It starts at Shahekou, follows the ancient Lishui River channel through Shiměitáng, Jiàoyù Village, Zǐliúzhou, Hēishānzuǐ, and ends at Luojiapù. The river channel is 17 kilometers long, with a water surface area of 2,200 hectares, an embankment drainage area of 102,200 hectares, a water storage capacity of 6.7 million cubic meters, protecting a population of 100,000 people and 15,300 hectares of farmland.

In 2014, the Dingcheng District government designated the Niaozhou Wetland Park as a pilot project for national wetland park application and assigned the Hunan Provincial Forestry Survey and Design Institute to develop the overall plan. From May to July, the institute organized experts to conduct various specialized surveys on the Niaozhou Wetland Park. In August, it passed the review of the provincial expert panel. In November, it underwent an on-site assessment by a team of experts from the National Forestry Administration. During the assessment, Professor Yang Guishan (Director of the Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences) and Professor An Shuqing (Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University) described the Shácháo River in Niaozhou Wetland Park as the "Rhine of the East," a vital ecological corridor for Dongting Lake and a breeding ground for rare wildlife, as well as the best-preserved wetland in the Dongting Lake region. In December, it passed the national expert panel review, and the National Forestry Administration officially approved the construction of the Hunan Dingcheng Niaozhou Wetland Park as a national wetland park pilot site in document Lin Shī Fā [2014] No. 205.

The ecosystem of Hunan Dingcheng Niaozhou National Wetland Park has the following characteristics: First, typicality. It is a composite wetland ecosystem composed of permanent rivers, lakes, aquaculture farms, and rice paddies, which is typical and representative in the Lishui River Basin and Dongting Lake Basin, possessing high scientific and conservation value. Second, uniqueness. The Shácháo River where Niaozhou is located is an ancient flood channel, and its unique river-lake network system is highly distinctive in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The park is situated along the important East Asian migratory bird route, and its natural wetlands provide excellent habitats, feeding grounds, and wintering sites for numerous bird species. Third, species diversity. According to incomplete statistics, the park and its surrounding areas boast rich wildlife resources, including 455 plant species from 324 genera and 111 families, with four nationally protected second-class wild plants: camphor tree, wild buckwheat, wild soybean, and Chinese zoyzia grass. There are eight nationally protected second-class wildlife species, such as the white-tailed eagle, Eurasian hobby, and common kestrel. Additionally, there are 62 wildlife species under key protection in Hunan Province, such as the yellow weasel, hog badger, and black-striped snake.

Construction goals of Hunan Dingcheng Niaozhou National Wetland Park: Through the coordinated planning of functions such as wetland conservation and restoration, scientific research, public education, and leisure activities, the wetland park will be developed into a model for ecological protection in the Dongting Lake Economic Zone and a demonstration of the lake-river composite wetland ecosystem in Hunan Province. The park aims to become an important window for ecological civilization showcasing a healthy environment and biodiversity; a culturally rich eco-tourism destination with distinctive characteristics of Hunan; and a science education base with high-level management standards.