Comparison of current status of protective planting of species in the draw down zone of the Danjiang reservoir area, Henan province, China.
(Google translation with heavy editing)
As a water source of the middle reaches of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project, the area of the Danjiang reservoir, Hechuan County of Henan Province, has for many years had a low water level of between 150 and 157 meters. Government has invested in protecting the reservoir area by growing trees and grasses in the draw down area (fluctuation zone). Since September 2017, the water level began to rise reaching 167 meters - the highest water level in history, in March 2018
The level then retreated to 160 meters by the end of Apri 2018. The water level fell by 7 meters in these six months. Most of the trees and grasses planted in the draw down area were submerged, only the vetiver grass survived. Jiang Jianggong, chief of the Yangtze River Committee, after seeing the scene said : "I have worked in the Yangtze River Valley for 30 years. I haven't seen a plant in the upper and lower reaches that can survive more than 3 months flooding, this vetiver grass is resistant to six months of flooding".