Parched Poyang Lake – China’s Largest Freshwater Lake Dries Out



In Jiangxi Province, China, Poyang Lake regularly changes in size between the winter and summer seasons. Lake water levels are often low in the winter. The largest freshwater lake in the nation then fills up as a result of summer rains from the Yangtze River.

However, in the summer of 2022, the lake has not risen. In fact, the lake dried up early and water levels dropped to levels not seen in decades as a result of a protracted heat wave and drought that affected much of the Yangtze River Basin.

The month of July 2022 Poyang Lake, July 10, 2022, annotated. For a larger, higher-resolution view, click the image.

the month of August 2022 Poyang Lake, August 27, 2022, annotated. For a larger, higher-resolution view, click the image.

On June 23, Poyang Lake reached its highest water levels of the year (as measured at the Xingzi Station). According to the Jiangxi Hydrological Monitoring Center, following that, the lake's water levels dropped quickly due to the combination of high temperatures and a lack of precipitation. On August 6, the lake's water levels had dropped to a level of 11.99 meters (39.33 feet), which the center described as the beginning of the lake's "dry season." That low occurred around 100 days sooner than average. Since records have been kept since 1951, this was the earliest date when the water level reached such a low point. The lowest recorded water level on August 30 was 8.96 meters (29.4 feet), a continuous decline.

A local community's irrigation, shipping, and water supply infrastructure have been affected by Poyang Lake's draining. Additionally, as China's water resources, agriculture, energy generation, and industrial activities are put under stress by the excessive heat and drought, millions of people who live throughout the Yangtze River basin are also being impacted.

Joshua Stevens created NASA Earth Observatory photos using data from the U.S. Geological Survey's Landsat satellite.

By ADAM VOILAND, NASA EARTH OBSERVATORY 

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