Guizhou Province Restores Chishui River Ecosystem by Removing Hydropower Stations

Guizhou province in Southwest China has undertaken a significant initiative to protect the Chishui River. The province has removed the majority of small hydropower stations along the river. Simultaneously, the remaining stations have been upgraded with new facilities to maintain the necessary water flow, crucial for the health of the aquatic ecosystem.

This information was shared by Yi Geng, head of the Guizhou provincial department of water resources, during the Eco Forum Global Guiyang 2025. This two-day event, which concluded on Sunday, is a national-level international forum in China focused on ecological civilization. The theme of this year's forum was "Harmonious Coexistence Between Humans and Nature · Global Collaborative Development for Green Transformation".

By the end of last year, all 195 small hydropower stations slated for removal had been dismantled. Furthermore, 339 kilometers of the Chishui River in the province, which had previously experienced reduced water flow, have been restored. The 29 remaining stations have been equipped with measures to ensure ecological flows, and their monitoring facilities have been enhanced.

The Chishui River is a unique waterway. It is the last free-flowing tributary on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, with no dams along its main course. The river stretches 436.5 kilometers, originating in Yunnan province, flowing through Guizhou, and eventually joining the Yangtze River in Sichuan province.

The Chishui River is vital for biodiversity conservation within the Yangtze River Basin, supporting over 160 species of fish. The small hydropower stations along the Chishui were initially constructed in the 1950s and 1960s to address electricity shortages and boost local socioeconomic development.

However, these stations, built without considering ecological and environmental protection, began to show adverse impacts, particularly after the new millennium. These impacts threatened the local ecological environment and the habitats of rare fish species.

The measures implemented have significantly reduced the density of hydropower stations along the Guizhou section of the Chishui. This has allowed for the reconnection of all of its over 20 tributaries to the main river. Monitoring by professional institutions has indicated an increase in both the diversity and population of fish species.