364
17 Environmental Flow Definition and Management: A Case Study …
forests grow at altitudes below 1,200 m. Higher altitude mountain regions are occupied by secondary shrubs and herbs, whereas lowland floodplain areas have been
extensively cultivated for rice, wheat, and other crops, such as fruit and vegetables.
Taizhou is highly industrialized. While the population is split almost equally
between urban and rural areas, only about 20% of the total population is engaged in
agriculture. Continued growth in the urban population and industry is anticipated.
Taizhou’s population concentration is highest in the southeast, where the bulk of the
developed industry is located. In these areas, the average per capita availability of
water resources is 873 m
3 , whereas the average across the prefecture is about 1,650
m
3 and the provincial average is 2,123 m
3 . Of the available water resources, 38.4%
have been developed (i.e., 38.4% of the mean annual flow is taken for out-of-stream
consumptive purposes). In contrast, the north of Taizhou has more water resources but
lower levels of development. For example, Xianju County has the highest average per
capita volume of water resources at 5,191 m
3 , of which 6.9% have been developed.
The agricultural sector remains the largest user of water in Taizhou. The majority
of agricultural use occurs during the wet season (April–September). In 2002, 60%
of the region’s supplies were used for agriculture, 14.9% for domestic use, 21.1%
for industry, and 4% for the ecological environment (such as for watering parks and
gardens, beautification projects). However, primary agricultural use accounted for
only 47.1% of all water use in Taizhou in 2005 (Taizhou WRB 2007). This includes
irrigation, aquaculture, forestry, and animal husbandry. The agricultural water needs
in the river basin are reducing due to the combination of a general shift away from
the sector (with land either left stagnant or lost to industrial and urban expansion),
changing cropping practices, and the adoption of rural water-use efficiency practices.
These trends are expected to continue into the foreseeable future.
Contrary to these trends, however, the comprehensive water resources plan for
Taizhou is based on agricultural water use increased by about 7% by 2010 then
returning to existing levels by 2020. Only in the following 10 years are agricultural
demands predicted to drop below current levels.
Total water demand in the south of Taizhou (which is largely supplied by the
Changtan Reservoir) is expected to increase from 76.5 million m
3 in 2010 to 117.7
million m
3 in 2020. Most of the additional demand will come from growth in urban
and industrial consumption.
The increase in urban consumption will result from population growth as well
as predicted increases in average domestic use resulting from improved living standards. Household consumption in these regions is expected to increase from the
current average of about 119–135 L/p/d in 2010 and then to 155 L/p/d by 2020. In
northeastern Taizhou, similar trends are likely to occur, though potentially to a lesser
degree. Annual population growth throughout Taizhou is 0.72%.
On average, about 9.08 billion m
3 of water resources are available annually. In
2005, about 1.54 billion m
3 were used throughout Taizhou (Taizhou WRB 2007).
Currently, there are four major storages in Taizhou. The Changtan Reservoir in
Huangyan District is the biggest storage in Taizhou. It was built in the late 1950s and
early 1960s on the Yongning River. It has a capacity of 732 million m
3 and is used
predominantly for urban supply to the Jiaojiang District (the largest population center
17 Environmental Flow Definition and Management: A Case Study …
forests grow at altitudes below 1,200 m. Higher altitude mountain regions are occupied by secondary shrubs and herbs, whereas lowland floodplain areas have been
extensively cultivated for rice, wheat, and other crops, such as fruit and vegetables.
Taizhou is highly industrialized. While the population is split almost equally
between urban and rural areas, only about 20% of the total population is engaged in
agriculture. Continued growth in the urban population and industry is anticipated.
Taizhou’s population concentration is highest in the southeast, where the bulk of the
developed industry is located. In these areas, the average per capita availability of
water resources is 873 m
3 , whereas the average across the prefecture is about 1,650
m
3 and the provincial average is 2,123 m
3 . Of the available water resources, 38.4%
have been developed (i.e., 38.4% of the mean annual flow is taken for out-of-stream
consumptive purposes). In contrast, the north of Taizhou has more water resources but
lower levels of development. For example, Xianju County has the highest average per
capita volume of water resources at 5,191 m
3 , of which 6.9% have been developed.
The agricultural sector remains the largest user of water in Taizhou. The majority
of agricultural use occurs during the wet season (April–September). In 2002, 60%
of the region’s supplies were used for agriculture, 14.9% for domestic use, 21.1%
for industry, and 4% for the ecological environment (such as for watering parks and
gardens, beautification projects). However, primary agricultural use accounted for
only 47.1% of all water use in Taizhou in 2005 (Taizhou WRB 2007). This includes
irrigation, aquaculture, forestry, and animal husbandry. The agricultural water needs
in the river basin are reducing due to the combination of a general shift away from
the sector (with land either left stagnant or lost to industrial and urban expansion),
changing cropping practices, and the adoption of rural water-use efficiency practices.
These trends are expected to continue into the foreseeable future.
Contrary to these trends, however, the comprehensive water resources plan for
Taizhou is based on agricultural water use increased by about 7% by 2010 then
returning to existing levels by 2020. Only in the following 10 years are agricultural
demands predicted to drop below current levels.
Total water demand in the south of Taizhou (which is largely supplied by the
Changtan Reservoir) is expected to increase from 76.5 million m
3 in 2010 to 117.7
million m
3 in 2020. Most of the additional demand will come from growth in urban
and industrial consumption.
The increase in urban consumption will result from population growth as well
as predicted increases in average domestic use resulting from improved living standards. Household consumption in these regions is expected to increase from the
current average of about 119–135 L/p/d in 2010 and then to 155 L/p/d by 2020. In
northeastern Taizhou, similar trends are likely to occur, though potentially to a lesser
degree. Annual population growth throughout Taizhou is 0.72%.
On average, about 9.08 billion m
3 of water resources are available annually. In
2005, about 1.54 billion m
3 were used throughout Taizhou (Taizhou WRB 2007).
Currently, there are four major storages in Taizhou. The Changtan Reservoir in
Huangyan District is the biggest storage in Taizhou. It was built in the late 1950s and
early 1960s on the Yongning River. It has a capacity of 732 million m
3 and is used
predominantly for urban supply to the Jiaojiang District (the largest population center