Aydingkol Lake, the lowest-elevation lake in China, has welcomed a new water source

TURFAN, China, Jan. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — On January 9, 2025, the Ustonggou Reservoir in Toksun County, Turpan City, Xinjiang officially began storing water, marking the reservoir’s entry into the trial operation phase. This development will significantly enhance the capacity to supply water to Aydingkol Lake and further promote the ecological protection and management of the lake. State Grid Turfan Power Supply Company provided robust power support during the construction and trial operation of the reservoir, ensuring reliable operation of the reservoir’s power system.

As the lowest lake in China, Aydingkol Lake has long garnered significant attention. Turpan, known as the “Fire Island,” experiences extremely low annual precipitation, averaging only 16 mm, while annual evaporation reaches up to 3,000 mm. Since 2013, the Aiding Lake Ecological Protection and Management Project was officially launched with a total investment of 7.6 billion yuan, aiming to establish and improve systems for water resource allocation, environmental protection, and monitoring.

The Ustonggou Reservoir, a key project for the ecological protection of Aiding Lake, has a total investment of 490 million yuan and a storage capacity of 14.4 million cubic meters. It is anticipated that by early spring 2025, the reservoir will have accumulated 4.23 million cubic meters of water resources, providing a solid foundation for the ecological restoration of Aiding Lake. State Grid Turfan Power Supply Company actively supported the project throughout its duration, ensuring the smooth progress of the ecological protection efforts.

After eight years of restoration, the ecological environment of Aiding Lake has shown significant improvement. Surface water has once again flowed into the core area of the lake, expanding its surface area to 7.46 square kilometers. Vegetation coverage in the surrounding areas has increased from 10% to 50%, and the number of plant and animal species has risen from 23 and 20 to 126 and 124, respectively. The ecological protection and management initiatives have achieved remarkable results.