Application of Source IMSLake Tai – China

Dave Waters

Lake Tai (or Taihu)

Lake Tai (or Taihu), is the 3rd largest freshwater lake in China

(southern part of Yangtze River delta).

Total area of Lake Tai approx. 2,338 km2, average depth of 2m

The lake provides water to 30

million residents.

Lake Tai has been increasingly polluted due primarily to rapid economic growth and increased population in the basin area

(Google Earth)

Wuxi City

Yixing City

Suzhou CityLake Tai

Water Crisis in Lake Tai

Large algal bloom outbreaks in Lake Tai since 1990.

The most significant algal bloom broke out in 2007 in

Mei Liang Bay near the Wuxi City, and led to the "

Wuxi City Water Crisis”.

Huzhou City

2007 Water Crisis in Lake Tai

- Water quality worse than Class V of the Surface Water

Quality Standard (GB3838-2002).

- Tap water supply in Wuxi City had to be temporarily

terminated due to the crisis.

- Led to the development of the Lake Tai Master plan 2008

Project Australian China Environmental Development Partnership (ACEDP)

5 year, $25Million Aust Gov. AusAID initiative

Aimed at supporting and enhancing Policy development in China

Working in areas of mutual interest – focus on water resource management

Aus Lake Tai Cluster

AUS Cluster Lake Tai Team include:

Earth Systems

Melbourne Water

DSE Victoria

EPA Victoria

Hyder Consulting

Extension Activities:• Existing AUS partners +• DPI Victoria• eWater Cooperative Research Centre• Hunter Water Corporation

Chinese Lake Tai Cluster

Lake Tai Basin Authority, China

Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Science (NIGLAS)

Environmental Research Institute, Suzhou

Agricultural Bureau, Suzhou

The Lake Tai Project

Demonstration of eWater tools November 2010

Resulted in a 1 year project - commenced March 2011

Workshops China/Australia 2011

Base models and scenario development

Final meeting January 2012

Working Group in China June 2011

Visit to Australia September 2011

SOURCE IMS PROJECT OBJECTIVES

Building capacity within the Chinese working group

Apply Source IMS model to a pilot area (Dongshan Peninsula)

Model demonstration to improve non point source nutrient management into the lake and inform policy

Model Development

Pilot Area Dongshan Peninsula (82 km2)

Modelling water Quantity, Nitrogen, Phosphorus

7 landuse categories of interest

Assessing relative contribution for each landuse

Running a range of scenarios to look at management options to reduce nutrient export to Lake Tai

Lake Tai

Vegetables

Industrial

High Density Urban

Low Density Urban

Upland Trees

Aquaculture Ponds

Landuse

Aquaculture Ponds (50%)

Upland Fruit Trees (30%)

Vegetables (6%)

High Density Urban (10%)

Base Model Built

Modelling challenges

Data access

Data availability

Replication of aquaculture pond management

Replication of gate closure/pumping of rainfall

runoff to lake

Source able to reflect aquaculture pond management

Canal gates closed at threshold lake level

Pumping to Lake Tai when gates closed

Scenarios

Relocation of STP plant

Conversion of remaining 20% septics

Major wetland construction

Improved management of inputs

TP Proportion of Load x Landuse

Aquaculture

High Density Urban

Industrial

Low Density Urban

Low land Trees

Upland Fruit Trees

Vegetables

Water

STP

Total Nitrogen Load

Total Nitrogen Export

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Aquacu

lture

High D

ensi

ty U

rban

Indu

stria

l

Low D

ensi

ty U

rban

Lowla

nd T

rees

Upland

Fru

it Tr

ees

Veget

able

s

Lo

ad

(k

g/h

a/y

r)

ConclusionsProject has provided great exposure for

eWater

Source IMS flexibility key to success

Versatility to be able to model rural/urban and regulated areas and simplicity attractive features to Chinese delegation

THANK YOUTHANK YOU

The Lake Tai Project

Activity Objectives:

1) Contribute to successful environmental governance

mechanisms at Municipal, Province and Basin levels.

2) Assist greater use of science-based planning,

management and interventions to support lake and river

basin management to improve lake conditions

3) Contribute to a substantial decrease in the frequency

and intensity of algae blooms as a result of specific and

modern IRBM, science and management technologies.