Gaoyou Lake

China / Jiangsu / Gaoyou /
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Gaoyou Lake is the third largest lake in Jiangsu Province and the sixth largest freshwater lake in China. It covers an area of 674 sq. km.(260 sq. miles). Gaoyou Lake is a manmade lake, and it’s creation is part of a long story about flood control and hydraulic engineering in ancient China. Gaoyou Lake is now part of the Huai River system as the Huai River flows south through Gaoyou Lake on its way to the Yangtze River and the Pacific. Historically, the Huai had flowed directly into the Yellow Sea by cutting through northern Jiangsu Province. Starting in 1194 AD the Yellow River, some 300 km. to the north, changed courses several times to merge into the Huai, At least two of these course changes were brought on during wars, where one army would rupture the dikes in order to drown an opposing army. The waters of the Yellow River were so heavy and silt laden that they quickly filled the nearby flat Huai River channel resulting in frequent floods. To make matters worse the floods covered the fertile farmlands with gravel and clay. Chinese Engineers undertook a major project to raise the elevation of the Huai hoping the increased water velocity would keep the Yellow River silt suspended until it reached the sea. They did this by building a system of dikes and creating Huai Lake, which grew larger over the years as the dikes were raised to try to control flooding. Around 1600 AD flooding of the Yellow River caused several smaller lakes to merge thus creating Gaoyou Lake.
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Coordinates:   32°52'23"N   119°15'57"E
This article was last modified 12 years ago