The debris-clearing operations in Chongqing's Wushan section of the Yangtze River can remove around 20,000 tons of waste annually, playing a crucial role in enhancing water quality and protecting the water ecology.
A debris-cleaning boat operates in Chongqing's Wushan section of the Yangtze River, May 21, 2025. [Photo by Liu Chongyi/chinadaily.com.cn]
Located at the eastern gateway of Chongqing, Wushan county serves as the final ecological barrier for the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. The length of the Yangtze River's main stream and secondary rivers within Wushan totals 183 kilometers, said Yu Zhihua, head of the county's debris-clearing team, on Wednesday.
A view of Chongqing's Wushan section of the Yangtze River, May 21, 2025. [Photo by Liu Chongyi/chinadaily.com.cn]
"The debris-clearing boats operate from around 7 am to dusk," Yu said. "The primary floating debris are straw, dead branches and weeds".
This debris is mainly washed down from the mountains along the river by heavy rain, so during the flood season, typically from May to October, the debris increases. Sometimes, all 36 boats need to be dispatched to conduct debris-cleaning operations, he said.
A view of Chongqing's Wushan section of the Yangtze River, May 21, 2025. [Photo by Liu Chongyi/chinadaily.com.cn]
Except for seven mechanized debris-clearing boats, the team also has semi-mechanized and manually operated debris-clearing boats, along with barges and transfer boats.
A view of Chongqing's Wushan section of the Yangtze River, May 21, 2025. [Photo by Liu Chongyi/chinadaily.com.cn]
"Even though it's already May, the weather conditions these days have been favorable, resulting in a relatively clean river. Thereby, we only deploy three mechanized debris-clearing boats today," Yu added.
A routine water quality assessment conducted on Wednesday showed that water quality had even reached Class I — the best level on China's five-tier grading scale — at that time, said Wei Wei, an official from the county's ecology and environment bureau.
A view of Chongqing's Wushan section of the Yangtze River, May 21, 2025. [Photo by Liu Chongyi/chinadaily.com.cn]
"The water quality of the Yangtze River in the Wushan section has reached Class II for eight consecutive years," said Chen Peng, deputy head of the county's ecology and environment bureau. He added that 12 new fish species have been added to the area.
The county invests around 6 million yuan ($833,000) each year in debris-clearing efforts, according to Yu from the debris-clearing team.
A view of Chongqing's Wushan section of the Yangtze River, May 21, 2025. [Photo by Liu Chongyi/chinadaily.com.cn]
A water quality assessment boat conducts routine monitoring in Chongqing's Wushan section of the Yangtze River, May 21, 2025. [Photo by Li Menghan/chinadaily.com.cn]
