Winter brings predominantly fair weather and coincides with the agricultural off-season, making it a convenient period for water conservancy construction. It was learned on January 29 from the Shandong Provincial Department of Water Resources that across Shandong, efforts are in full swing to build reservoirs, repair sluice gates and dams, and dredge canals, with various projects seizing the golden season to expedite construction progress. Currently, the Qilu landscape is a hive of activity with winter water conservancy projects underway despite the cold.
At the construction site of the Menghe Shuanghou Reservoir in Yinan County, Linyi City, Shandong, workers are busily engaged, machinery roars, and the reservoir's gravity dam steadily rises bit by bit amidst the biting cold wind. "To date, this project has cumulatively completed an investment of 10.454 billion yuan, accounting for 90.18% of the total investment, with the overall physical progress reaching 80%. Construction is scheduled for full completion in 2026," said Ling Jinlong, Deputy Section Chief of Water Conservancy Project Construction at the Linyi Water Affairs Bureau.
In the new year, the provincial water conservancy system will leverage the "Project Breakthrough Year" initiative, focusing intensely on "stabilizing investment growth broadly and establishing benchmark projects specifically," and concentrate efforts on implementing major "10+N" water conservancy projects to accelerate the development of a safe and resilient modern water network in Shandong, according to Wang Jiatian, Deputy Director of the Development and Planning Division at the Shandong Provincial Department of Water Resources.
During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Shandong completed water conservancy investments totaling 320 billion yuan, maintaining an annual increase of tens of billions for consecutive years. Specifically, investment in 2025 reached 81.1 billion yuan, setting a new historical record for both investment intensity and scale.
It is reported that in 2026, Shandong will continue to focus intensely on major project construction, accelerating the advancement of the Taiping Reservoir and Changhuikou Reservoir, completing the main structure of the Shuanghou Reservoir, achieving impoundment for the Guanlu Reservoir, and commencing major projects such as the Eastern Diversion for floodwater utilization from Mount Huang and the Yi-Shu River, the Zhonggao Reservoir, and the modernization renovation of the Weishan Irrigation District.
Furthermore, a promotion conference for modern water network construction projects in 2026 will be held to secure project funding through multiple channels.
Water conservancy construction is closely linked to grain harvests. Presently, Dezhou City in Shandong Province is experiencing a surge in农田水利 construction during the winter-spring season, with 124 construction sites bustling with activity. Over 1,100 pieces of machinery shuttle back and forth, while more than 240 officials and over 1,300 construction personnel work diligently together on the sites.
As the nation's first large-scale "ton-and-a-half grain" demonstration zone, Dezhou relies on the "Three Connections and Six Belts" modern water network as a key support. Having largely achieved basin-wide water system connectivity, the focus of management has now expanded to the terminal canal system, with a major campaign launched across the city to tackle waterlogged land remediation.
"A total area of 483,000 mu of waterlogged land is planned for remediation during this winter and next spring. So far, 1,815 terminal canals stretching 2,188.6 kilometers have been managed, achieving 56.8% of the project progress," said Li Yan, Head of the River Chief System Office at the Dezhou Water Affairs Bureau. Upon completion, the remediation will fully connect the fragmented field ditches, truly achieving the capability for irrigation during drought and drainage during waterlogging, thereby solidifying the water conservancy foundation for building a higher-level "Qilu Granary."
Additionally, at the Weishan Irrigation District in Liaocheng City, Shandong Province, nearly a hundred excavators are operating precisely on the pool bed, dredging sediment. The dredging project for the No. 6 West Grit Chamber has entered its final攻坚 stage and is expected to be fully completed by the end of January.
In the new year, Shandong will intensify efforts to ensure water security, protect water ecology, develop the water economy, and improve water-related livelihoods for the people. The province aims to complete water conservancy investments of approximately 90 billion yuan for the year, striving for a successful start to the "16th Five-Year Plan" period.