The Dayudu Irrigation District in Ruicheng County has recently completed a key project under its quality and efficiency enhancement initiative. The newly built North Main Canal Fifth-Level Pumping Station, a major component of the project aimed at expanding and restoring irrigated areas, has officially commenced operations. Upon activation of the units, water flows through 13 kilometers of pipelines, providing a timely supply to 21,000 mu of surrounding farmland. This milestone marks a significant step in the county's modernization of its irrigation district.
As a vital part of the province's strategy to increase irrigated land and a core livelihood project under the national pilot for modern irrigation district development, the project has a total investment of 360 million yuan. Its construction timeline spans from 2024 to 2027, with funding sourced from provincial water conservancy development funds and local special bonds. Covering 21 administrative villages across five townships—Ximo Town, Nanwei Town, Guwei Town, Xuezheng Township, and Dawang Town—the project benefits over 30,000 residents. It represents the largest investment and widest-reaching agricultural water improvement effort in Ruicheng County in recent years.
The newly operational North Main Canal Fifth-Level Station is a key single-project facility, featuring a newly built plant and auxiliary structures. It is equipped with three units, boasting a total installed capacity of 1,010 kilowatts, a design flow rate of 0.61 cubic meters per second, and a terrain lift of 81.3 meters. The station is accompanied by 13 kilometers of water delivery pipelines. This project directly serves six administrative villages in Ximo Town and Nanwei Town, effectively resolving chronic issues of insufficient irrigation water sources and inefficient water delivery. It significantly enhances the region's capacity to combat drought and ensure stable crop yields.
Notably, the Dayudu Irrigation District's upgrade project adopts a systematic approach, focusing on comprehensive upgrades. It coordinates the implementation of four major initiatives: pumping station renovation, water distribution enhancement, smart technology integration, and water ecological civilization construction. The county has upgraded seven pumping stations, built new or expanded multi-level pumping stations and pressure pipelines, and fully optimized the irrigation district's water lifting and delivery system. It has also standardized the main canal and southern main canal, extended branch channels, and constructed new irrigation branch pipes, creating an efficient, high-coverage irrigation network that links main and branch lines across the entire district.
Smart water management projects are advancing simultaneously. The county has developed a three-dimensional perception system, a support and maintenance system, a cybersecurity system, and two major platforms for digital twin and business applications. These enable intelligent, refined management of the irrigation district's scheduling, operations, maintenance services, and water metering processes. Additionally, construction of a water education exhibition hall and a water culture experience zone is progressing, promoting the integrated enhancement of water functions, ecological environment, and water culture.
Upon full completion of the project, the Dayudu Irrigation District will expand from a six-level, 14-station system to a seven-level, 17-station system. The effective irrigated area in the county will increase from 546,200 mu to 606,200 mu. The project is expected to generate annual water savings of 1.52 million cubic meters and increase grain production capacity by 16.36 million kilograms. These combined benefits of water conservation, increased output, and improved livelihoods will provide a strong boost to food security in Ruicheng County.