The prolonged drought in the Xiangjiang River and Dongting Lake is worsening, prompting officials to flag up orange alert on 17 December. The low water has severely affected Chenglingji port which every day receives more than 200 vessels of 2,000-3,000dwt from the tributaries. Because of the low draught, vessels can carry only 60-65 per cent of their normal load. According to officials from Changsha Jixing Container Company, one of the major barge operators in Changsha, it has to use smaller barges to get to Chenglingji and Wuhan and use trucking as contingency. Consequently, the cost of shipping containers between Changsha and Wuhan has risen by Rmb400 each.
Since 26 October 2008, the Three Gorges Dam has released 2,500 cubic metres of water per second more than the normal 5,500 cubic metres in an effort to raise the water level in Chenglingji. The record low water level in the Xiangjiang River and Dongting Lake has not only made shipping difficult but also affected the water supply and water quality for people living in the middle and lower reaches of the Xiangjiang River such as Changsha, capital of Hunan province.