“利之所在,害亦从生”——苇草、苇地与清代畿辅水利

"Where there is benefit, drawback comes along":Reed, Reed Land, and Water Conservancy Construction of Qing Dynasty in Jifu(畿辅)Area

芦苇是对清代畿辅水利与民众生计影响颇大的植物,遍布泊淀边缘地带,称为苇地。作为一种土地类型,苇地对畿辅河工亦有重要意义。苇草在清代河工中应用广泛,是重要物料。苇地不止是苇草种植的土地,也从滩地垦殖、地方财政等方面影响畿辅水利。苇草在民众生活中也有重要价值,不仅有利于滩地垦殖,也可保证水灾时有一定收入,还是燃料和手工业原料。尽管如此,苇草苇地、滩地垦殖、畿辅水利之间仍呈现出“利之所在,害亦从生”的关系。在地方人士看来,苇草之利不仅微薄,也不稳定。苇荡还是蝗虫渊薮。苇地密集、芦苇丛生加速泥沙淤积,加快河床抬高,降低泊淀蓄洪能力,加大了清代畿辅水利治理的难度和投入。

Reed was a plant that had a great impact on water conservancy and livelihoods of the people in Jifu district. As a land type, reed land was also important. Reeds were widely used in river engineering as a kind of important material. Reed land was not only land for planting reeds, but also affected the water conservancy of Jifu area in terms of land reclamation and local finances. Reeds were also valuable in the lives of the people, not only for bottomland reclamation, but also to ensure a certain amount of income when flooding. Reeds were also important as fuel and raw materials for handicrafts such as mat weaving industry. In spite of these benefits, the relationship among reeds, reed lands, the reclamation of the beaches, and the water conservancy in Jifu area was like the saying: "where there is benefit, drawback comes along". For local people, benefits of reeds were not only tiny, but also unstable. Reed lands were also breeding ground for locusts. For the water conservancy of Jifu area, reed lands accelerated siltation and riverbed elevation, reduced flood absorption capacity of lakes and pools, thus increased the difficulty of water conservancy management and investment of Qing government.