Research on Policy Diffusion Path and Reproduction of River Chief System

The River Chief System (RCS) has evolved from local innovative practices to a national water governance strategy to address the current challenges in China’s water environmental management. In contrast to existing research that focuses on the strengths, weaknesses, and improvements of RCS, this study uses literature study to reveal the dynamic evolution of RCS through three phases, with RCS spreading from developed coastal areas to central and western inland regions. RCS’s diffusion path involves vertical diffusion between central and local levels and horizontal diffusion among local governments. Moreover, RCS has also achieved conceptual spillover, gradually expanding into other governance domains, such as the Lake Chief System, the Field Chief System, the Forestry Chief System, and the integration of multiple chief roles. However, it is essential to scrutinize the phenomenon of applying similar governance mechanisms to different areas, as it may result in challenges such as overburdening local governments, insufficient public participation, oversimplification of differences in natural resource endowments, and limited applicability. This study also provides suggestions on how to address these challenges. The study contributes theoretical insights and policy implications, providing a foundation for practical policy innovation.

The river chief system and agricultural non-point source water pollution control in China

As part of their efforts to control water pollution,local governments in China introduced the river chief system,whereby a named individual undertakes responsibility for protecting a specified waterway.As one of the most prominent sources of water pollution,agricultural non-point-source(NPS)pollution is becoming increasingly serious.Determining whether the river chief system,an institutional reform in China's decentralized environmental regulation regime,is effective in alleviating NPS pollution is important for the realization of green development.The effect of the river chief system on reducing agricultural NPS pollution is explored in this study using panel data from 308 Chinese counties during the period from 2004 to 2015.The results reveal that the negative impact of manure output from animal breeding operations on surface water quality is reduced with the implementation of the river chief system.However,the river chief system is ineffective in dealing with the water pollution caused by fertilizer use.Furthermore,in the current system,cooperation among river chiefs only occurs within a province.Local governments should increase their efforts in reducing fertilizer source loads and preventing fertilizer loads from entering surface waters.In addition,the central government should improve cooperation among the river chiefs in upstream and downstream provinces.

Future Development Direction of the Restoration of Mountains,Rivers,Forests,Farmlands,Lakes,and Grasslands and the Faced Problems

In this paper,the definition,connotation,and internal relationship of mountains,rivers,forests,farmlands,lakes,and grasslands in China are elaborated,and the current situation of ecological restoration projects for mountains,rivers,forests,farmlands,lakes,and grasslands was introduced.Moreover,the problems that have arisen in the specific implementation process of pilot projects were analyzed,such as unclear target positioning,inaccurate analysis of ecological problems,insufficient engineering design systematicness,weak operability of evaluation standards,and weak coordination in engineering management.The development direction and major needs for the protection and restoration of mountains,rivers,forests,farmlands,lakes,and grasslands in the future have been proposed from four aspects:theoretical research,engineering design,effect evaluation,and monitoring and supervision.

Current Situation and Ideas of Protection and Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems in Rivers and Lakes of China

Based on the investigation and analysis of protection and restoration of aquatic ecosystems in rivers and lakes of China, the ideas and measures of restoring aquatic ecosystems were proposed to build healthy aquatic ecosystems of rivers and lakes in China, such as setting scientific and clear goals, improving the standard adopted by wastewater treatment plants, controlling sources of pollutants and intercepting pollutants, collec- tion of blue-green algae, water transfer, dredging, reducing the quantity of blue-green algae, restoring reed wetlands on a large scale, combing dredging and base raise of restored reed wetlands, making full use of microorganisms, and implementing effective management, technology integra- tion and innovation.

Research on the Public Behaviors to Participate in the Lake Chief System-Based on the Survey of Hengshui City, China

Lake chief system is an innovative measure of ecological civilization construction in lake governance and protection in China. Due to the complexity and openness of lake resources, it is difficult for the government and the market to properly handle the arduous task of lake governance, and public participation is an effective remedy for the failure of the government and the market. In order to know the public participation in the protection lakes, this paper selected 318 citizens from Hengshui city and uses the questionnaire survey to understand the public’s participation attitude, approach and behavior of the lake chief system. The research results show that the public’s education level, length of residence and understanding of the lake chief system have a positive impact on their participation.

Innovation of governance model of local government in China:Reflections on the issue of River Chief System in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

Government-leading,multi-agent participation and coordinated co-governance are the original intentions of River Chief System governance policy design,the purpose is to really improve governance benefits of the River Chief System.Regrettably,the current research is still in its infancy,mainly based on theoretical analysis and case analysis.Whether government-leading,multi-agent participation and coordinated co-govemance can really improve the effectiveness of governance still lacks empirical testing.For this reason,based on the 241 questionnaires of the governance benefits of the River Chief System in Guangdong Province,this paper deeply analyzed the influence of the organizational level of the River Chief System on the governance benefits,and further studied the regulatory role of multi-agent participation.The results showed that there was an inverted“U”relationship between the organizational level of the River Chief System and the governance benefit,and multi-agent participation had no positive influence on the relationship between the organization level and the governance benefit.This paper has important enlightening significance for expanding the theory of River Chief System research and guiding the practice of government-leading governance policy of River Chief System.On the other hand,this paper can provide reasonable suggestions on environmental governance for Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area’s high-quality development.

Morphological Difference and Karyotype of Pelteobagrus fulvidraco in Dongting Lake Water System

[Objective] The research aimed to study the morphological characteristics and karyotype of Pelteobagrus fulvidraco in Dongting Lake water system.[Method] By using the conventional biological morphometry,PHA and colchicine injection method in vivo,the morphological characteristics and karyotype of P.fulvidraco in Yuanshui River and Lishui River of Dongting Lake were analyzed.[Result] In three ratio traits including standard length/head length,standard length/caudal peduncle depth,head length/snout length,P.fulvidraco of Yuanshui River and Lishui River had significant differences（P0.05）.However,the number and karyotype of their chromosomes were same.The chromosome number was 2n = 52,and the karyotype formula was 20M＋12SM＋10ST＋10T.The number of chromosome arm was 84.[Conclusion] The research result had certain theoretical guidance significance for the protection and utilization of wild P.resource in Dongting Lake water system.

Vertical Distribution Characteristic of Nitrogen in the Core Sediments of Three Rivers Estuary in Poyang Lake

The vertical profile distribution characteristics of nitrogen in core sediments of Three Rivers Estuary in Poyang Lake were studied.The results showed that TN content in core sediments ranged from 480.0 to 1 900.0 μg/g with the change of depth,which was divided into three distribution types as follows:TN content decreases gradually with the increase of depth,TN content increases gradually with the increase of depth or higher content in the middle but lower content in two ends.NH4+-N content ranged from 8.7 ...

Middle-Late Pleistocene Glacial Lakes in the Grand Canyon of the Tsangpo River,Tibet

Many moraines formed between Daduka and Chibai in the Tsangpo River valley since Middle Pleistocene. A prominent set of lacustrine and alluvial terraces on the valley margin along both the Tsangpo and Nyang Rivers formed during Quaternary glacial epoch demonstrate lakes were created by damming of the river. Research was conducted on the geological environment, contained sediments, spatial distribution, timing, and formation and destruction of these paleolakes. The lacustrine sediments 14C （10537±268 aBP at Linzhi Brick and Tile Factory, 22510±580 aBP and 13925±204 aBP at Bengga, 21096±1466 aBP at Yusong） and a series of ESR （electron spin resonance） ages at Linzhi town and previous data by other experts, paleolakes persisted for 691±305 kaBP middle Pleistocene ice age, 75-40 kaBP the early stage of last glacier, 27-8 kaBP Last Glacier Maximum （LGM）, existence time of lakes gradually shorten represents glacial scale and dam moraine supply potential gradually cut down, paleolakes and dam scale also gradually diminished. This article calculated the average lacustrine sedimentary rate of Gega paleolake in LGM was 12.5 mm/a, demonstrates Mount Namjagbarwa uplifted strongly at the same time, the sedimentary rate of Gega paleolake is more larger than that of enclosed lakes of plateau inland shows the climatic variation of Mount Namjagbarwa is more larger and plateau margin uplifted more quicker than plateau inland. This article analyzed formation and decay cause about the Zelunglung glacier on the west flank of Mount Namjagbarwa got into the Tsangpo River valley and blocked it for tectonic and climatic factors. There is a site of blocking the valley from Gega to Chibai. This article according to moraines and lacustrine sediments yielded paleolakes scale： the lowest lake base altitude 2850 m, the highest lake surface altitude 3585 m, 3240 m and 3180 m, area 2885 km2, 820 km2 and 810 km2, lake maximum depth of 735 m, 390 m and 330 m. We disclose the reason that previous experts discovered there were different age moraines dividing line of altitude 3180 m at the entrance of the Tsangpo Grand Canyon is dammed lake erosive decay under altitude 3180 m moraines in the last glacier era covering moraines in the early ice age of late Pleistocene, top 3180 m in the last glacier moraine remained because ancient dammed lakes didn＇t erode it under 3180 m moraines in the early ice age of late Pleistocene exposed. The reason of the top elevation 3585 m moraines in the middle Pleistocene ice age likes that of altitude 3180 m. There were three times dammed lakes by glacier blocking the Tsangpo River during Quaternary glacial period. During other glacial and interglacial period the Zelunglung glacier often extended the valley but moraine supplemental speed of the dam was smaller than that of fluvial erosion and moraine movement, dam quickly disappeared and didn＇t form stable lake.

Hydrodynamic effects of reconnecting lake group with Yangtze River in China

The hydrodynamic effects of reconnecting a lake group with the Yangtze River were simulated using a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model. The model was calibrated and validated using the measured water temperature and total phosphorous. The circulation patterns, water temperature, and water exchange conditions between sub-lakes were simulated under two conditions： （1） the present condition, in which the lake group is isolated from the Yangtze River; and （2） the future condition, with a proposed improvement in which connecting the lake group with the Yangtze River will allow river water to be diverted into the lake group. The simulation period selected was characterized by extremely high temperature and very little rain. The results show that the cold inflow from the river has a significant effect on the water temperature only near the inlets, and the effect is more obvious in the lower water layers than that in the upper ones. The circulation pattern changes significantly and small-scale vortices only exist in part of the lake regions. The water exchange between sub-lakes is greatly enhanced with the proposed improvement. The water replacement rate increases with water diversion but varies in different sub-lakes. Finally, a new water diversion scheme was proposed to avoid contamination of some lakes in the early stage.

Impact of Taihu Lake on City Ozone in the Yangtze River Delta

The lake-breeze at Taihu Lake generates a different specific heat capacity between the water body and the surrounding land. Taihu Lake has a significant impact on the atmospheric conditions and the air quality in the Yangtze River Delta. This phenomenon is referred to as the Taihu Lake effect. In this study, two simulations were conducted to determine the impact of the Taihu Lake effect in the reference experiment （R-E） and sensitivity experiments （NO_TH）. The control simulations demonstrated that the meteorological field and the spatial distribution of ozone （03） concentrations over Taihu lake obviously changed once the land-use type of water body was substituted by cropland. The surface temperature of Taihu Lake was reduced under the impact of Taihu Lake, and a huge temperature difference caused a strong lake-breeze effect. The results also showed that the difference in the average concentrations of 03 between the R-E and NO_TH experiments reached 12 ppbv in most areas of Taihu Lake, all day, on 20 May 2014. During daytime （0800-1600 LST, LST=UTC＋8）, the influence of the Taihu Lake effect on 03 in the Suzhou region was not significant. However, the influence of the Taihu Lake effect on 03 in the Suzhou region was obvious during nighttime （1800-2400 LST）. The larger changes in the physical and chemical processes were horizontal and vertical advections under the influence of the Taihu Lake effect in Taihu Lake.

Water Quality Assessment of the River Nile System:An Overview

Objectives The main objective of the present article is to assess and evaluate the characteristics of the Nile water system , and identify the major sources of pollution and its environmental and health consequences. The article is also aimed to highlight the importance of water management via re-use and recycle of treated effluents for industrial purpose and for cultivation of desert land. Method An intensive effort was made by the authors to collect, assess and compile the available data about the River Nile. Physico-chemical analyses were conducted to check the validity of the collected data. For the determination of micro-pollutants, Gas Chromatography (GC) and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) were used. Heavy metals were also determined to investigate the level of industrial pollution in the river system. Results The available data revealed that the river receives a large quantity of industrial, agriculture and domestic wastewater. It is worth mentioning that the river is still able to recover in virtually all the locations, with very little exception. This is due to the high dilution ratio. The collected data confirmed the presence of high concentrations of chromium and manganese in all sediment samples. The residues of organo-chlorine insecticides were detected in virtually all locations. However, the levels of such residues are usually below the limit set by the WHO for use as drinking water. The most polluted lakes are Lake Maryut and Lake Manzala. Groundwater pollution is closely related to adjacent (polluted) surface waters. High concentrations of nutrients, E.coli, sulfur, heavy metals, etc. have been observed in the shallow groundwater, largely surpassing WHO standards for drinking water use. Conclusion A regular and continuous monitoring scheme shall be developed for the River Nile system. The environmental law shall be enforced to prohibit the discharge of wastewater (agricultural, domestic or industrial) to River Nile system.

Maintaining healthy rivers and lakes through water diversion from Yangtze River to Taihu Lake in Taihu Basin

On the basis of the Taihu water resources assessment, an analysis of the importance and rationality of the water diversion from the Yangtz,e River to Taihu Lake in solving the water problem and establishing a harmonious eco-environment in the Taihu Basin is performed. The water quantity and water quality conjunctive dispatching ＇decisi＂ofi-makifig support system, which ensures flood control, water supply and eco-aimed dispatching, is built by combining the water diversion with flood control dispatching and strengthening water resources monitoring and forecasting. With the practice and effect assessment, measures such as setting the -integrated basin management format, further developing water diversion and improving the hydraulic engineering projects system and water monitoring system are proposed in order to maintain healthy rivers and guarantee the development of the economy and society in the Taihu Basin.

Relationship Between Changes of River-lake Networks and Water Levels in Typical Regions of Taihu Lake Basin,China

The typical regions of the Taihu Lake Basin,China,were selected to analyze the variation characteristics of river-lake networks under intensive human activities.The characteristics of the fractal dimension of river networks and lakes for different periods were investigated and the influences of river system evolution on water level changes were further explored through the comparison of their fractal characters.The results are as follows:1) River network development of the study area is becoming more monotonous and more simple;the number of lakes is reducing significantly,and the water surface ratio has dropped significantly since the 1980s.2) The box dimension of the river networks in all the cities of the study area decreased slowly from the 1960s to the 1980s,while the decrease was significant from the 1980s to the 2000s.The variations of lake correlation dimension are similar to those of the river network box dimensions.This is unfavorable for the storage capacity of the river networks and lakes.3) The Hurst exponents of water levels were all between 0.5 and 1.0 from the 1960s to the 1980s,while decreased in the 2000s,indicating the decline in persistence and increase in the complexity of water level series.The paper draws a conclusion that the relationship between the fractal dimension of river-lake networks and the Hurst exponents of the water level series can reveal the impacts of river system changes on flood disasters to some extent:the disappearance of river networks and lakes will increase the possibility of flood occurrence.

Characteristics and Effects of Inorganic Nitrogen in East Water-source and Inflow Rivers of Chaohu Lake

[Objective] To study the characteristics and effects of inorganic nitrogen in east water-source and inflow rivers of Chaohu Lake. [Method] The speciation and distribution characteristics of dissolvable inorganic nitrogen （DIN） in east water-source and inflow rivers of Chaohu Lake were investigated, and their effects on water qual- ity were examined. [Result] The concentrations of NH3-N and NO2--N were the high in flood season, and low in non-flood season, while the concentration of NO3--N pre- sented the opposite trend; the concentration of NO3--N was the highest in Shuangqiao estuary, where the pollution was the worst. DIN in Zhegao estuary and Xiaozhegao estuary was mainly caused by domestic sewage and industrial wastewaters; surface runoff and pollution from ships contribute the most to the DIN content in Shuangqiao estuary. [Conclusion] This study provided basic data and theoretical basis for the control and management of eutrophication in Chaohu Lake.

Organic Phosphorus in Shallow Lake Sediments in Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River Area in China

Thirteen sediment core samples(0-10 cm) were taken from the seven lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River to determine the contents and distributions of organic phosphorus(P) fractions in the sediments of the shallow lakes in the area.The organic P fractions in the sediments were in the order of moderately labile organic P(MLOP) > moderately resistant organic P(MROP) > highly resistant organic P(HROP) > labile organic P(LOP),with average proportional ratios of 13.2:2.8:1.3:1.0.LOP,MLOP,and MROP were significantly related to the contents of total organic carbon(TOC),water-soluble P(WSP),algal-available P(AAP),NaHCO3-extractable P(Olsen-P),total P(TP),organic P(OP),and inorganic P(IP).However,HROP was significantly related to OP and weakly correlated with TOC,WSP,AAP,Olsen-P,TP or IP.This suggested that organic P,especially LOP and MLOP in sediments,deserved even greater attention than IP in regards to lake eutrophication.In terms of organic P,sediments were more hazardous than soils in lake eutrophication.Although OP concentrations were higher in moderately polluted sediment than those in heavily polluted sediment,LOP and MLOP were higher in the heavily polluted sediment,which indicated that heavily polluted sediment was more hazardous than moderately polluted sediment in lake eutrophication.

Morphological Characteristics of Cambodia Mekong Delta and Tonle Sap Lake and Its Response to River-Lake Water Exchange Pattern

Tonle Sap Lake is the largest river-connected lake, buffer area and ecological zone of Mekong River, which plays a huge role in dispelling flood peak and compensating water, and the conservation of biological diversity. The river-lake relationship between Mekong River and Tonle Sap Lake is unique and has always been a major focus in the international community. The land terrain and under-water topography were used to analyze the morphological characteristics of Cambodia Mekong Delta and Tonle Sap Lake. Long series of hydrological data of river-lake controlling stations were used to analyze the water level variation characteristics and water volume exchange pattern between Mekong River and Tonle Sap Lake, and the response relationship to river-lake morphological characteristics were also researched. The results show that: Cambodia Mekong Delta and Tonle Sap Lake Area is low-lying and flat with gentle channel gradient and water surface gradient, making the relationship between water level and area (or volume) smooth. The channel storage capacity of Mekong River and Tonle Sap River is not enough compared to the inflow, so vast flooding plain is extremely prone to be inundated, making the flood relationships between the left and right banks become very complicated. Tonle Sap Lake is a seasonal freshwater lake with water flowing in and flowing out, and the timing and intensity of water exchange with Mekong River are closely related to the water flow resistance at the exit section of Tonle Sap Lake and the cross-sectional area of Tonle Sap River, which can be reflected by the river-lake water level difference and the water level of Tonle Sap River. Affected by the river-lake morphological characteristics, the water exchange intensity between Mekong River and Tonle Sap Lake is great. Tonle Sap Lake not only stores 14.4% of flood volume (39.7 billion m3) from the Mekong River every year, but also supplies 29.7% of dry water (69.4 billion m3) to the Mekong River. Influenced by the adjustment of the floodplain, the water level fluctuation of Mekong River and Tonle Sap Lake is slow, and the rising and droop rates of water level are positively correlated with the floodplain storage area. The research results will help to understand the relationship mechanism between Mekong River and Tonle Sap Lake and provide a scientific basis for the comprehensive governance of Cambodia Mekong Delta and Tonle Sap Lake Area.

Geochemical records of the sediments and their significance in Dongping Lake Area,the lower reach of Yellow River,North China

Dongping Lake area,located in the lower reaches of Yellow River,is an ideal place to study the changes of modern river and lake sedimentary environment.The sediment samples of Dawen River,Yellow River,and Dongping Lake were collected,and the major elements,trace elements and organic matter geochemical composition of the samples were analyzed.Cluster analysis,characteristic element ratio method and graphic method were used to explore the geochemical characteristics of sediments and their environmental implication.The results show that the contents of SiO_(2),Na_(2)O,TiO_(2) and Zr in sediments of Dawen River and Yellow River are relatively high,and the contents of iron and manganese oxides,organic matter,CaO,P2O5 and Sr in lake sediments are relatively high.That reveals the differences of sedimentary environments between the rivers and the lake.The contents of Sr and Zr in Dawen River are affected by the rapid migration of clastic materials in the upstream carbonate source area during the flood season;the δCe,ΣREE and REE’s ratios in the sediments of the Yellow River reflect the influence of the Loess source;and the distribution of elements changes along the flow direction during the flood season.The characteristics of pH,element composition and LREE&HREE fractionation of the lake sediments indicate that the sediment source is complex,and the lake environment is affected by the flood season.The study shows that the geochemical content and its variation characteristics of sediments effectively reveal the sedimentary environment,material composition and characteristics of flood season of rivers and the lake in the study area.

Mathematical model for flood routing in Jingjiang River and Dongting Lake network

The main stream of the Yangtze River, Dongting Lake, and the river network in the Jingjiang reach of the Yangtze River constitute a complex water system. This paper develops a one-dimensional （l-D） mathematical model for flood routing in the river network Of the Jingjiang River and Dongting Lake using the explicit finite volume method. Based on observed data during the flood periods in 1996 and 1998, the model was calibrated and validated, and the results show that the model is effective and has high accuracy. In addition, the one-dimensional mathematical model for the river network and the horizontal two-dimensional （2-D） mathematical model for the Jingjiang flood diversion area were coupled to simulate the flood process in the Jingjiang River, Dongting Lake, and the Jingjiang flood diversion area. The calculated results of the coupled model are consistent with the practical processes. Meanwhile, the results show that the flood diversion has significant effects on the decrease of the peak water level at the Shashi and Chenjiawan hydrological stations near the flood diversion gates, and the effect is more obvious in the downstream than in the upstream.

Assessment of Changes in Ice Regime Characteristics of Russian Lakes and Rivers under Current Climate Conditions

This article deals with assessment of changes in ice cover duration and maximum ice cover thickness for the last three decades compared with the previous period by the example of observation data for 28 hydrometric stations on rivers and 10 hydrological stations on lakes. Estimations of homogeneity and trends of long term serious of above mentioned rivers and lakes ice regime characteristics for three time periods were carried out using Student and Fisher criteria. Assessment of changes in ice regime characteristics for the period 1980-2010 compared with the period of stationary climate (from the beginning of observations until 1979) using two methodological approaches was made. The results can be used for solving problems of economy branches adaptation in case of rivers and lakes used in winter conditions.