Water resources authorities in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China say the region will continue to feed water to the thirsty lower Tarim River next year.

The autonomous region launched a water-transfusion project in 2000 to feed the 300-km lower reach of the Tarim River, which dried up in the 1970s because of the overuse of water resources in the upper and middle reaches.

The Tarim River is the longest inland river in China, which serves as the most important water source in the arid autonomous region.

Since 2000, 2.3 billion cubic meters of water has been injected into the river from Lake Bosten.

According to Wang Jianzhong, deputy director with the administration of the river, the project so far has seen a recovery of 18,000 hectares of natural vegetation.

A stretch of 800-square-kilometers of poplars along the river are also enjoying improved growing conditions.

Wang said the groundwater in the area also rose, to a maximum increase of seven meters.

The country started a comprehensive control project of the Tarim River in 2001, which was expected to be complete in five years. By then, Wang said, the lower reaches would have a stable supply of 300 million cubic meters of water every year.

However, the transfusion from Lake Bosten will remain an effective measure to keep local the ecology from deteriorating before the comprehensive project is completed, Wang said.

Though the water level in the Kaidu River, a major water source of Lake Bosten, saw a decline this year, which resulted in the ensuing fall of the water level in the lake, Wang said the level was still higher than the average of the past years, so the feeding project next year will not be affected.

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