Check Dam Construction for Sustainable Watershed Management and Planning E-Book

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 806

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

CHECK DAM CONSTRUCTION FOR SUSTAINABLE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING

Authoritative and comprehensive reference on the potential for watershed development through the use of check dams

Check Dam Construction for Sustainable Watershed Management and Planning summarizes current knowledge of check dams as key soil and water conservation structures in some of the most sensitive and vulnerable ecosystems in the world, as exemplified by the Mediterranean area and the Chinese Loess Plateau, providing detailed information on check dam design and watershed planning, the use of advanced modeling techniques, challenges in dam construction and how to overcome them.

The work integrates decades of research in the field of soil and water conservation and gully management, including advanced studies in check dam construction and watershed management. It also covers important new techniques and methods, such as hydrological modeling, isotope tracing, and more.

To aid in reader comprehension, the five highly qualified editors have divided the work into three distinct sections. Sections I and II focus on the experience gained from the erosion hotspots in the Chinese Loess Plateau, whereas Section III expands the scope to other regions with different functions for check dams, including headwater ecosystems and alpine environments.

Sample topics covered in Check Dam Construction for Sustainable Watershed Management and Planning include:

• The regulating effect of check dam systems on sediment redistribution and the formation and development of dam systems in small watersheds
• Water and soil conservation made possible by check dam construction and sediment source analysis of water-sediment retarding effects of check dams
• The regulation of check dam systems on the erosion dynamic process and the mechanism of erosion reduction by check dams
• Flood control risk assessment on warping dam systems and the development and utilization model of check dam systems

With its systematic coverage of all aspects of dam construction and maintenance, Check Dam Construction for Sustainable Watershed Management and Planning supports decision making by local authorities and can also be used as a professional guide for ecologists, hydrologists, and water resource managers.

Leseprobe

Check Dam Construction for Sustainable Watershed Management and Planning

Edited by

Zhanbin Li

State Key Laboratory of Eco‐hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region, Xi’an University of Technology, China.

Peng Li

State Key Laboratory of Eco‐hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region, Xi’an University of Technology, China.

Yang Yu

Jixian National Forest Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, CNERN, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, China.

Peng Shi

State Key Laboratory of Eco‐hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region, Xi’an University of Technology, China.

Guillaume Piton

University Grenoble Alpes, The French National Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Torrent Control, Snow and Avalanche Research Unit (ETNA), Grenoble, France.

This first edition first published 2022© 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by law. Advice on how to obtain permission to reuse material from this title is available at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

The right of Zhanbin Li, Peng Li, Yang Yu, Peng Shi, and Guillaume Piton to be identified as the authors of the editorial material in this work has been asserted in accordance with law.

Registered OfficeJohn Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA

Editorial OfficeBoschstr. 12, 69469 Weinheim, Germany

For details of our global editorial offices, customer services, and more information about Wiley products visit us at www.wiley.com.

Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats and by print‐on‐demand. Some content that appears in standard print versions of this book may not be available in other formats.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of WarrantyIn view of ongoing research, equipment modifications, changes in governmental regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to the use of experimental reagents, equipment, and devices, the reader is urged to review and evaluate the information provided in the package insert or instructions for each chemical, piece of equipment, reagent, or device for, among other things, any changes in the instructions or indication of usage and for added warnings and precautions. While the publisher and authors have used their best efforts in preparing this work, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives, written sales materials or promotional statements for this work. The fact that an organization, website, or product is referred to in this work as a citation and/or potential source of further information does not mean that the publisher and authors endorse the information or services the organization, website, or product may provide or recommendations it may make. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a specialist where appropriate. Further, readers should be aware that websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. Neither the publisher nor authors shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication DataNames: Li, Zhanbin, editor. | Li, Peng (Hydrology), editor. | Yu, Yang (Hydrology), editor. | Shi, Peng (Hydrology), editor. | Piton, Guillaume, editor.Title: Check dam construction for sustainable watershed management and planning / edited by Zhanbin Li, Peng Li, Yang Yu, Peng Shi, and Guillaume PitonDescription: First edition | Hoboken, NJ, USA : Wiley, 2022. | Includes bibliographical references and index.Identifiers: LCCN 2022009090 (print) | LCCN 2022009091 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119742401 (cloth) | ISBN 9781119742432 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9781119742425 (epub)Subjects: LCSH: Dams. | Soil conservation. | Watershed management.Classification: LCC TC540 .C46 2022 (print) | LCC TC540 (ebook) | DDC 627/.8–dc23/eng/20220321LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022009090LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022009091

Cover Design: WileyCover Image: Courtesy of Peng Shi, Xi’An University of Technology

NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS

Mahmoud Piri ArdakaniDepartment of Rangeland and Watershed ManagementFaculty of Natural Resources and Desert StudiesYazd UniversityYazd, Iran

Lulu BaiInstitute of Water Resources and Hydro‐electric EngineeringXi’an University of TechnologyXi’an, China

Mohammad Ebrahim BanihabibDepartment of Water EngineeringCollege of Aburaihan, University of TehranPakdasht, Iran

Simon CarladousIsère, ONFDirection Nationale Risques NaturelsGrenoble, France

Gilles CharvetSavoie, ONF‐RTM, Agence Alpes du NordService de SavoieChambéry, France

Jiangang ChenCAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Earth Surface ProcessInstitute of Mountain Hazards and EnvironmentChinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)Chengdu, ChinaBeijing, China

Huayong ChenCAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Earth Surface ProcessInstitute of Mountain Hazards and EnvironmentChinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)Chengdu, ChinaBeijing, China

Xiaoqing ChenCAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Earth Surface ProcessInstitute of Mountain Hazards and EnvironmentChinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)Chengdu, ChinaBeijing, China

Shengdong ChengState Key Laboratory of Eco‐hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region, Institute of Water Resources and Hydro‐electric EngineeringXi’an University of TechnologyXi’an, China

Tomáš GaliaDepartment of Physical Geography and GeoecologyUniversity of OstravaOstrava, Czechia

Mengjing GuoInstitute of Water Resources and Hydro‐electric EngineeringXi’an University of TechnologyXi’an, China

Penglei HangState Key Laboratory of Eco‐hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region, Institute of Water Resources and Hydro‐electric EngineeringXi’an University of TechnologyXi’an, China

Toshiyuki HoriguchiDepartment of Civil EngineeringNational Defense AcademyYoukosuka, Japan

Jingming HouInstitute of Water Resources and Hydro‐electric EngineeringXi’an University of TechnologyXi’an, China

Johannes HüblInstitute of Mountain Risk EngineeringUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesVienna, Austria

Ying JiangNorthwest Institute of Forest Inventory, Planning and Design, National Forestry and Grassland AdministrationXi’an, China

Ganggang KeState Key Laboratory of Eco‐hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region, Institute of Water Resources and Hydro‐electric EngineeringXi’an University of TechnologyXi’an, China

Hiroshi KokuryoNippon Steel Metal Product Co., Ltd.Kiba, KoutoukuTokyo, Japan

Damien KussIsère, ONFDirection Nationale Risques NaturelsGrenoble, France

Peng LiInstitute of Water Resources and Hydro‐electric EngineeringXi’an University of TechnologyXi’an, China

Tanbao LiNorthwest Institute of Forest Inventory, Planning and Design, National Forestry and Grassland AdministrationXi’an, China

Zhanbin LiInstitute of Water Resources and Hydro‐electric EngineeringXi’an University of TechnologyXi’an, China

Beilei LiuInstitute of Water Resources and Hydro‐electric EngineeringXi’an University of TechnologyXi’an, China

Anli MaUpper and Middle Yellow River BureauYRCCXi’an, China

Zhiqiang MinNorthwest Institute of Forest Inventory, Planning and Design, National Forestry and Grassland AdministrationXi’an, China

Ali MohammadiDepartment of Water EngineeringCollege of Aburaihan, University of TehranPakdasht, Iran

Maxime MorelIsère, University Grenoble Alpes,INRAE, ETNAGrenoble, France

Georg NaglInstitute of Mountain Risk Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering and Natural HazardsUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesVienna, Austria

Romain PaulheSavoie, ONF‐RTM, Agence Alpes du NordService de SavoieChambéry, France

Guillaume PitonIsère, University Grenoble Alpes, INRAEUR, ETNAGrenoble, France

Yann QueffeleanIsère, ONFDirection Nationale Risques NaturelsGrenoble, France

Qihua RanInstitute of Hydrology and Water Resources EngineeringZhejiang University of TechnologyHangzhou, China

Zongping RenInstitute of Water Resources and Hydro‐electric EngineeringXi’an University of TechnologyXi’an, China

Zhengyan RenSoil and Water Conservation Bureau of Ningxia Water ConservancyYinchuan, China

Peng ShiInstitute of Water Resources and Hydro‐electric EngineeringXi’an University of TechnologyXi’an, China

Jürgen SudaAlpinfra engineering + consulting GmbHVienna, Austria

Václav ŠkarpichDepartment of Physical Geography and GeoecologyUniversity of OstravaOstrava, Czechia

Ivan SmažákDepartment of Physical Geography and GeoecologyUniversity of OstravaOstrava, Czechia

Jingmei SunNorthwest Institute of Forest Inventory, Planning and Design, National Forestry and Grassland AdministrationXi’an, China

Honglei TangInstitute of Hydrology and Water Resources EngineeringZhejiang University of TechnologyHangzhou, China

Daxiang WangUpper and Middle Yellow River BureauYRCCXi’an, China

Dejun WangNorthwest Institute of Forest Inventory, Planning and Design, National Forestry and Grassland AdministrationXi’an, China

Feng WangInstitute of Hydrology and Water Resources EngineeringZhejiang University of TechnologyHangzhou, China

Jibin WangNorthwest Institute of Forest Inventory, Planning and Design, National Forestry and Grassland AdministrationXi’an, China

Rui WangInstitute of Water Resources and Hydro‐electric EngineeringXi’an University of TechnologyXi’an, China

Tian WangInstitute of Water Resources and Hydro‐electric EngineeringXi’an University of TechnologyXi’an, China

Wen WangState Key Laboratory of Eco‐hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region, Institute of Water Resources and Hydro‐electric EngineeringXi’an University of TechnologyXi’an, China

Xi′an WangCAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Earth Surface ProcessInstitute of Mountain Hazards and EnvironmentChinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)Chengdu, ChinaBeijing, China

Zhihai WeiNorthwest Institute of Forest Inventory, Planning and Design, National Forestry and Grassland AdministrationXi’an, China

Miaoxia WenNorthwest Institute of Forest Inventory, Planning and Design, National Forestry and Grassland AdministrationXi’an, China

Lie XiaoInstitute of Water Resources and Hydro‐electric EngineeringXi’an University of TechnologyXi’an, China

Guoce XuInstitute of Water Resources and Hydro‐electric EngineeringXi’an University of TechnologyXi’an, China

Hong YanFaculty of Humanities and Foreign LanguagesXi’an University of TechnologyXi’an, China

Zhi YangSoil and Water Conservation Bureau of Ningxia Water ConservancyYinchuan, China

Guoqiang YuInstitute of Water Resources and Hydro‐electric EngineeringXi’an University of TechnologyXi’an, China

Kunxia YuState Key Laboratory of Eco‐hydraulics in Northwest Arid RegionInstitute of Water Resources and Hydro‐electric EngineeringXi’an University of TechnologyXi’an, China

Yang YuJixian National Forest Ecosystem Research Network StationCNERN, Beijing Forestry UniversitySchool of Soil and Water ConservationBeijing, China

Shuilong YuanInstitute of Water Resources and Hydro‐electric EngineeringXi’an University of TechnologyXi’an, China

Laizhang ZhangUpper and Middle Yellow River BureauYRCCXi’an, China

Yan ZhangCollege of Urban and Environmental SciencesNorthwest UniversityXi’an, China

Binhua ZhaoState Key Laboratory of Eco‐hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region, Institute of Water Resources and Hydro‐electric EngineeringXi’an University of TechnologyXi’an, China

PREFACE

As recalled by a recent IPCC Special Report [1], land degradation, i.e. erosion and associated problems, is occurring over a quarter of the Earth’s ice‐free land area, thus affecting billions of people. Maintaining and enhancing life quality throughout every regions of the world require the implementation of efficient and cost‐effective erosion control master plans. Recently, the influences of climate changes and anthropogenic activities on watershed management and sustainable ecosystems development have been in the spotlight of science. While ecological conservation projects and man‐made structures (e.g. check dam or open check dam) naturally aim at increasing vegetation cover, mitigating hydrogeological risks, stabilizing the channel bed, the watershed‐scale success of such conservation efforts is not easily quantifiable. Knowledge on how landscapes, i.e. landforms and ecosystems, respond to both of anthropogenic and climate at watershed scale should, however, be the foundation for implementing appropriate measures on watershed design and management. Moreover, it is still unclear if such ecological engineering measurements are able to alleviate the sensitivity of the ecosystem toward climate change (i.e. increase the resilience and resistance). Consequently, it is necessary for us to survey the anthropogenic‐environment relationships for watershed management and to summarize the advantages and limitations of ecological engineering efforts during long‐term watershed restoration.

This book brings a contribution by summarizing the current knowledge about check dams on a regional and global scale. Among all of the soil and water conservation structures, check dams are widespread and effective soil and water conservation measurements all over the world. It is obvious that watershed management projects require well‐designed technique packages that generate income for local communities, overcome water shortage over a certain time period, and protect societies against risks and extreme events. This knowledge is crucial prior to correct restoration project design in the context of water storage as an ecosystem service and to estimate the success of conservation activities. Therefore, our aim is to propose more relevant intervention strategies for a sustainable watershed management and planning via construction of new check dams or adaptations of existing measures. Our forefathers did not wait to get strong scientific knowledge to build check dams and launch ambitious restoration master plans. They progressed by tests and trials, learning from successes and failures. Much knowledge was gained through time and recently thanks to the availability of new technologies and models. We decided to edit this book in order to share the knowledge acquired in China, Austria, France, Czech Republic, Japan, and Iran. We hope it will help readers to progress in the planning, design, and maintenance of check dams and sometimes prevent repetition of mistakes made elsewhere.

The ongoing research on check dams and watershed management, as reported in this book, is dealt with from different points of view. The book is divided into three sections. As discussed in Sections I and II, the development history of the check dams will be reviewed, and its ecological effects during watershed management will be elaborated in the Loess Plateau of China. Section I included four chapters, the main topic is the check dam development in the Loess Plateau of China. After more than 60 years of practice, check dams have gone through the process from scattered construction without scale to the dam system construction with small watershed as the unit. Check dams are an important type of water and soil conservation measure for the soil erosion control in the Loess Plateau. Sedimentation was redistributed with drainage structure. A large amount of natural environmental and humanistic environmental information are explained by the source identification. Section II focused on dam erosion dynamics and processes, six chapters are included, the main topic is the mechanism of flood and sediment reduction. By research, the effects of a check dam system on flood, runoff and peak discharge characteristics, the regulation of check dam system on erosion dynamic process were quantified. Silting patterns were related to runoff and deposition process. Restricted by economic and technical conditions, insufficient design and construction standards of check dams led to many ruined structures during high and extreme rainstorms. The investigation of the forms and causes of dam break and safety status was conducted to simulate and analyze the mechanism of check dam breaking. Flood control risk was assessed in the check dam system watershed to analyze the construction scale suitable for check dam system. Check dams can have various utilization modes, including trapping of sediment and silting up to create agricultural land; flood control and reduction of flood disasters; or combined use of water resources, water diversion irrigation, and fish farming in check dam reservoir. Sections I and II provide a comprehensive perspective of the strong experience gained by Chinese authors working on the key erosion hotspot that is the Loess Plateau. Section III rather gathers elements from other regions, landscape types, and cultures. It is especially more oriented on gravel‐bed, steep channels located in mountainous catchments experiencing debris flows and/or debris floods. In such locations, check dams have functions slightly different from the Loess plateau: the aim is not on water conservation and agriculture. In “Alpine” environment, check dams rather seek to influence the bed‐load transport (dis)connectivity, to consolidate landslides, to ease artificial and spontaneous reforestation, and, generally speaking, to initiate and drive feedback loops in geomorphic and ecological processes to decrease erosion near headwaters. Two chapters address these topics with examples from Czeck Republic and Iran. Conversely, it is sometimes difficult to work and stabilize headwaters. Then, it is more relevant to trap the fraction of sediment transport that threatens downstream settlements, namely coarse grains and large wood. Open check dams, mechanically dredged after filling, are rather used in this case. Four chapters provide overviews on how open check dams are designed and implemented along with other mitigation structures in Austria, France, China, and Japan. These chapters enable to cross‐compare how open check dam techniques were tailored to the peculiarities of these different contexts.

This book is a comprehensive first hand book including several scopes of interests in the field of soil and water conservation, watershed management, sediment connectivity, and ecosystem services. We surely believe that the book will have wide spectrum of readers with a common interest of ecologist, water resources scientist, foresters, risk managers, policy makers, and resources managers. It highlights the current status of check dam/open check dam research and also proposes lines of future research.

Sections I and II were supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2017YFC0504704) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (U2040208, 42077073, 42177310, and 51779204). Section III was supported by the HydroDemo research project funded by the French State through the FNADT‐CIMA funds and the European Union through the FEDER‐POIA funds (Grant agreement PA0020551). The European Union is committed to the Alpine massif with the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). The editors warmly thank Prof. Kostadinov, Prof. Lopez, and all anonymous reviewers for their reviews of all chapters during COVID‐19.

Zhanbin Li, Peng Li, Yang Yu, Peng Shi and Guillaume Piton

June 2022

REFERENCE

1. Olsson, L. et al. (2019). Land degradation. In:

Climate Change and Land: An IPCC Special Report on Climate Change, Desertification, Land Degradation, Sustainable Land Management, Food Security, and Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in Terrestrial Ecosystems

.

https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/sites/4/2019/11/07_Chapter‐4.pdf

.

Section IDam Development

1The Formation and Development of a Dam System in a Small Watershed in the Loess PlateauAbstract

Peng Li1, Yang Yu2,3, Peng Shi1, Zhanbin Li1, Hong Yan4, Rui Wang1, and Beilei Liu1

1 Institute of Water Resources and Hydro‐electric Engineering, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an, China

2 Jixian National Forest Ecosystem Research Network Station, CNERN, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China

3 School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China

4 Faculty of Humanities and Foreign Languages, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an, China

1.1. INTRODUCTION

Under the influence of climate change and human activities, the water flow and sediment in the Yellow River have undergone significant changes since the mid‐1980s, and the amount of water flow entering the Yellow River has dropped sharply, while the sediment has increased. Identifying objective methods to understand water and soil conservation and ecological construction measures' effects and the reasons for the rapid decline of water flow and increased sediment in the Yellow River in recent years have become a focus of attention on the part of both domestic and foreign experts [1]. The channel is the focal point of water and soil erosion in the watershed, and its effective management, development, and use are beneficial for social, economic, and ecological development [2].

Long‐term practical evidence in water and soil conservation indicates that a check dam is an important water and soil conservation measure to control soil erosion [3, 4]; it is the most effective measure to reduce the sediment inflow to the Yellow River quickly, reduce the sedimentation in the lower reaches of the Yellow River, and prevent the riverbed from rising [5, 6]. Check dams solve the two major problems of serious soil erosion and drought in the Loess Plateau effectively and unify the relation between ecological environment construction and local people's enrichment organically, which provides significant ecological, economic, and social benefits and plays an irreplaceable role in controlling soil erosion, reducing sediment entering the Yellow River, developing the regional economy, and improving people's living standards, as well as the ecological environment [7–9]. However, from the 1950s to the present, the most fundamental reason for the change in check dam construction is the frequent flood damage check dams suffer [10]. Because of the dams' properties, improper management, and excessive rainstorms, 7347 check dams in Northern Shaanxi Province were destroyed or damaged to varying degrees from July to August 1994, and these dam breaches damaged the largest area and number of dams and caused the most severe damage since the People's Republic of China was founded [11, 12]. Further, extensive floods in 2012 and 2013 caused by continuous rainstorms in Northern Shaanxi posed a great threat to the local check dams' safe operation.

In response to these problems, a large number of scientific and technological workers in China have conducted research on ways to optimize the layout of check dams, create a relatively stable dam system, and achieve the benefits of check dams' water and sediment reduction [13, 14]. After more than 60 years of practice, the check dam has undergone a process from scattered construction without scale to dam system construction with a small watershed as the unit, from lack of planning and design to the standardized construction and continuous improvement upon previous work [15]. At the same time, scientific and technological workers gained some successful experience in scientific planning, flood control and harvesting, single dam construction, and dam construction technology and management and realized fully that scientific planning is the foundation of, and engineering quality is the key to, dam system construction, and improving the existing management system guarantees the system's sound operation [16].

1.2. HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF DAM SYSTEM CONSTRUCTION IN THE LOESS PLATEAU

1.2.1. Western Zhou Dynasty

According to records, sediment was used to improve soil in China during the Western Zhou Dynasty. According to Zhouli Kaogongji Jinagren, “The formation of gully is caused by water flow. Therefore, it is necessary to use terrain to prevent and control.” Because water currents wash away the gullies easily, it can be beneficial to mankind only when the water is controlled.

1.2.2. Ming and Qing Dynasty

The first check dam in the Loess Plateau was formed by natural accumulation more than 400 years ago. In 1569, in Wangjiage Cave, Zizhou County, Shaanxi Province, the mountain slid on both sides of the gullies, blocking the channel, and collecting water and mud that formed a natural accumulation, i.e. a check dam, with a height of 62 m, a catchment area of 2.72 km2, and dam land area of 53 hm2.

The earliest record indicates that human construction of check dams began in Fenxi County, Shanxi Province, during 1573–1619. At that time, Mao Jiong, the county magistrate, made an announcement to encourage farmers to construct check dams. He stated that “People who can build a check dam can be rewarded, the food received does not need to be handed in, and the government issued a certificate to allow farmers to own the land. In three years, more than 300 families have built the check dam.”

In 1877, there was a severe drought and no grains were harvested on the nearby slopes. However, the wheat yield in the dam area of Jia's family was 2100 kg/hm2. The fact that the dam was rich in yield caused a sensation in the local area. In some surrounding villages, the rich hired people to build the dam, while the poor people built small dams through labor force exchange. Since then, the construction of check dams has developed gradually in this area.

1.2.3. The Period of the Republic of China

During the period of the Republic of China, preliminary investigations were carried out on the construction of check dams in the Loess Plateau, some specific measures for gully management were put forward, and check dams were built in Jingyugou, Xi'an to conduct an experiment. Some check dams were also built in certain local areas, such as Northern Shaanxi, Eastern Gansu, and Southern Ningxia.

The Republic of China government built the first check dam in the Jingyugou in the suburbs of Xi'an in 1945 in the Guanzhong Experimental Zone of the Yellow River Conservancy Commission. The small check dam was completed within two months, with a control area of 2.6 km2. In the following year, the Guanzhong Soil and Water Conservation Experimental Zone built a second check dam in Jingyugou with 5 million yuan from the US special fund for China's soil and water conservation, with a control area of 6.17 km2 and a height of 16.2 m.

In 1947, Cheng Fulong, a native of Linxian County, Shanxi, emphasized in his “Treatment of the Yellow River” that “building dams in gullies” is the only strategy to control the Yellow River. He believed that building embankments and dredging seaports downstream are “preventing nature and resisting nature,” and “the project is complicated with little effect.” “Building dams in the upper reaches of the Yellow River” constitutes “controlling nature and making use of nature” and “projects are easy to make huge profits.” General Feng Yuxiang, the patriotic general, wrote to Zhao Shoujue, the Chairman of the Yellow River Water Conservancy Commission, during his inspection in the United States in 1947, stating: “The fundamental plan for the prevention of disasters on the Yellow River is to build large dams and small dams of local limestone and stone with the height of two or three feet, one or two foot at the beginning of each river and in every valley in Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, Suiyuan, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Western Henan. In each province, 10 000 dams are built at most, and 8000 dams at least.” Moreover, he emphasized that the important thing is for them to be strong and not leak, so that the water can be retained, and it is easier to plant trees on the mountain. At the same time, he also pointed out that “There must be thirty or fifty talents in every province and county that can understand the importance of damming, and promote water conservancy.” These statements showed that Feng Yuxiang had realized the importance of check dam construction in reducing disasters attributable to the Yellow River at that time and believed that the construction of check dams should not only rely on farmers but should include training professional talents to guide the dam construction.

1.3. CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF CHECK DAMS SINCE THE FOUNDING OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA