On December 3, thepress conference on the construction of ecologicandclean small watersheds in Yichang kicked off. Relevant directorsof the Yichang Water Conservancy and Lake Bureau introduced new achievements in this field in recent years.

　　Small watershedsin soil and water conservation refer to the relatively independent and closed natural catchment areas below 50 square kilometersbetween watersheds and downstream river exit sectionsof rivers below secondary and tertiary tributaries. Comprehensive, centralized and continuous treatment with the small watershed as a unitwill help promote soil and water conservation in the entire area of soil and water loss, further achievingthe goalof reducing and preventing soil and water loss. The rivers in our city are in the Yangtze River basin. Against the policy background of “working together for protectionandrefraining from major development” in the Yangtze RiverEconomic Belt, small watersheds, capillaries of the Yangtze River aorta, exert a powerful influence on the ecological security of the Yangtze River.

　　Since 2016, the city has integrated various funds of 89.2911 million yuan andinvested it in the construction of 10 small watersheds, some of which are still under construction.15 projects have been implemented. The focusesarethe small ecologicand clean watersheddemonstration projectssuch as Dunzi River in Yiling district and Luyuan River in Yuan’an county.

　　This year, the cityhasalso implemented7 small watershed management projects, namely the continuousconstruction of ecologicandclean watershedsof the Dunzi River in Yiling districtand Luyuan Riverin Yuan’ancountyand the watersheds of Baiyangpingin Yiling district,Jiuxian River in Yuan'an county, Wajia River in Dangyang, Dushuping Banqiaochong in Wufeng and Binan Creekin Changyang. 26 million yuan of water conservancy development fundsof the central governmenthasbeen secured to control water and soil lossof 86.67 square kilometers.

　　By the end of November, the projects of Dunzi River, Luyuan River and Wajia River havebeen completed. Projects ofDushupingBanqiaochong, Binan Creekand Jiuxian River havebeen completed by 90%. The Baiyangping project has begunand is currentlyunder intense construction.The sevenannual implementation projects in the city will be completed and put into use before the end of the year.

　　According to the requirements of Yichang Soil and Water Conservation Plan (2016-2030), the city plans to build 62 ecologicand clean small watersheds, among which 18 are to be buildfrom 2016 to 2020and44 from 2020 to 2030.

　　In the future, the city will strengthen fundingandexplore the joint construction model of "planning convergence, integratingprojects, coordinatingfundsand sharing results" by adheringto theprinciple ofgovernment-ledand department participationprojects.In addition, the city will actively explore mechanismsfor private capital to participate in treatment of water and soil loss andfurther optimize incentive mechanisms such as “subsidies after construction”and “rewards as subsidies”so as to channelsocial funds into the building of ecologic and clean small watersheds.