A 330,000-square-meter underwater forest is taking shape beneath the surface of Lihu Lake near Baojie Park in Wuxi, where fish now weave their way through newly planted aquatic vegetation, attracting curious residents eager to catch a glimpse of the revitalized aquatic world.
The pilot section of the lake's aquatic ecological restoration project, organized by Lihu Lake Future City and the Wuxi water resources bureau, has recently passed acceptance inspection.
Clear water of Lihu Lake in Wuxi. [Photo/Wuxi Daily]
Billed as Jiangsu's first demonstration project combining lakebed reshaping with a clear-water ecosystem, the pilot is intended to create an underwater ecological barrier for Lihu Lake, an important bay of Taihu Lake.
Following three years of pollution control, dredging and waterway connectivity improvements, the lake's water quality improved to Grade III last year, meeting the needs of most aquatic organisms.
Once plagued by murky water and excessive algae, Lihu Lake is now undergoing a major ecological transformation. The pilot project began in late December last year and was completed toward the end of this September. It involved dredging the lake's central area and raising the lakebed near the shore, while wave-damping dikes and pollution barriers were installed to protect areas designated for planting.
Water transparency in the core restoration area has increased from less than 50 centimeters to more than 1 meter, signaling a marked improvement in water quality.
"With another two years of careful management, the underwater ecosystem will stabilize and help the lake improve its own water quality," said Han Cuimin, chief engineer at Wuxi Taihu Pearl Ecological Restoration.
Clear water of Lihu Lake in Wuxi. [Photo/Wuxi Daily]
Copyright © China Daily. All rights reserved.