Dong River (China)

The Dong River is in southern China. It flows through two lands. It is part of the Pearl River. The river starts at a big mountain.

Many people use this water. It helps cities like Shenzhen. It even goes to Hong Kong. This water helps millions of people.

Soft soil near the river is special. It helps keep dinosaur eggs safe. People find old bones there. One boy found eggs while playing.

These eggs are very old. They are from long ago. The river is a busy place. It is a very neat place to explore.

The Dong River is in southern China. It flows through Guangdong and Jiangxi. This river is a part of the Pearl River. It starts at Mount Yajibo in the Dayu Mountains. The river flows through many big cities. These cities include Heyuan, Huizhou, Dongguan, and Luoyang.

Many people need this water. Over 30 million people use it. Since 1960, water has also gone to Hong Kong. In 1990, 1.1 billion cubic meters went to Hong Kong. Another 493 million cubic meters went to Shenzhen. The river also helps with irrigation. This means it helps water plants on farms.

The river is a place for big finds. The soft soil near the river helps save fossils. Fossils are old bones or eggs from long ago. In Heyuan, people find many dinosaur eggs. One boy found 11 eggs while playing. These eggs are 66 million years old! The river basin is very large. It covers 35,340 square kilometers. It is a very important part of the land.

The Dong River is a very important waterway in southern China. It flows through the provinces of Guangdong and Jiangxi. This river is the easternmost main tributary of the Pearl River. It begins at Mount Yajibo in Xunwu County. This mountain is part of the Dayu Mountains. Those mountains sit inside the larger Nanling Mountains.

Water moves through the river in many ways. It flows into several smaller streams before it reaches the Pearl River. The river has many large reservoirs to hold water. These include the Fengshuba Reservoir and the Xinfengjiang Reservoir. There is also the Baipenzhu Reservoir on the Xizhi River. The river carries a lot of water every second. The total discharge is about 807.5 cubic meters per second.

People have used this river for a long time. In the early 1960s, Hong Kong needed more fresh water. This was because the population there was growing fast. On November 15, 1960, an agreement helped move water to Hong Kong. This water came from the Shenzhen Reservoir. Later, workers built more dams and pumping stations. These changes helped move much more water each year.

There are many big numbers connected to this river. The Dong River Basin covers 35,340 square kilometers. It provides water for over 30 million people. In 1990, the water supply reached 1.7 billion cubic meters. Of that amount, 1.1 billion cubic meters went to Hong Kong. Another 493 million cubic meters went to Shenzhen. The river also gives 150 million cubic meters for irrigation.

This river is also a famous place for history. The soft soil near the river helps protect old fossils. Because of this, Heyuan is called the "hometown of dinosaurs." In 1996, many dinosaur eggs and bones were found there. In 2019, a nine-year-old boy found fossils while playing. He found 11 dinosaur eggs on the river bank. These eggs are 66 million years old.

The Dong River is a vital waterway in southern China. It serves as the easternmost main tributary of the Pearl River. The river flows through the provinces of Guangdong and Jiangxi. It provides essential fresh water to many large cities and millions of people. This river is a central part of the regional geography and economy. It supports life through irrigation and large-scale water exports. The river system is complex and includes many smaller streams and tributaries.

The river begins in the Dayu Mountains. This range is a subrange of the much larger Nanling Mountains. The main source of the Dong River is Mount Yajibo in Xunwu County, Jiangxi. Its upper tributary, the Jiuqu River, starts at Mount Sanbai in Anyuan County. Both locations are within the prefecture-level city of Ganzhou. As the river moves, it forms a large basin. The total area of the Dong River Basin is 35,340 square kilometers. The river carries a massive amount of water through this landscape. Its total discharge is roughly 807.5 cubic meters per second.

Water management is a key part of the river's function. Several large reservoirs hold and control the flow of water. The Fengshuba Reservoir is located in Longchuan County, Guangdong. The Xinfengjiang Reservoir sits near Heyuan. There is also the Baipenzhu Reservoir on the Xizhi River. The Xizhi River is a tributary located further south in Huidong County, Huizhou. Before the Dong River meets the Pearl River in Dongguan, it branches into several smaller streams. These streams eventually join the Pearl River at different points further south.

Since 1960, the river has played a major role in supplying water to Hong Kong. In the early 1960s, Hong Kong faced an increasing demand for fresh water. This was caused by a rapidly growing population. To meet this need, the government looked to neighboring Guangdong. On November 15, 1960, an agreement was reached with Guangdong authorities. They agreed to take 23 million cubic meters of water each year from the Shenzhen Reservoir. This reservoir is connected to the Dong River. This initial agreement was the start of a long history of water exports.

Over the decades, the scale of water transport has grown significantly. Workers built additional pumping stations and dam works to extend the supply. By 1990, upgrades to existing stations increased the annual volume. The new volume reached 1.7 billion cubic meters of water. Of this total, 1.1 billion cubic meters went to Hong Kong. Another 493 million cubic meters were sent to Shenzhen. The remaining 150 million cubic meters were used for irrigation along the river. Since 1960, twelve different supply agreements have been signed. These agreements are based on consumption projections for Hong Kong. These projections account for population growth, industry, and commercial demands.

The river has also provided important scientific discoveries. The city of Heyuan is known as the "hometown of dinosaurs." Since 1996, many dinosaur eggs and bone fossils have been found there. The softened soil caused by the river likely helps keep these eggs in good condition. In 2019, a nine-year-old primary school student found fossils while playing. He was playing on the river bank in the downtown area of Heyuan. Museum staff arrived and dug out even more dinosaur eggs. They found a total of 11 eggs that date back 66 million years.

While the river is useful, it faces modern challenges. As cities in the Pearl River delta industrialized during the 20th century, the river faced worsening effects. Water quality began to decline due to this rapid industrial growth. To fix this, the intake point for the water was moved upstream. Authorities also constructed new sewage treatment plants to help. Today, the Dong River remains a primary water source for Heyuan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Shenzhen, and eastern Guangzhou. It supports a total population of over 30 million people.