Man-Made Consequences
But drought is not the only impetus for the Xiang River crisis. Water resources management experts believe that years of environmental destruction, the government's lack of a scientific approach to conservation, low maintenance funding and negligence in upkeep are all contributing factors.

Liu Jun, Zhuzhou Port Company's production chief, told the EO that in the past,  many boats transporting sand and stone plied the waterway. He claims the smaller boats were usually overloaded, and when emergencies happened, boat operators normally dumped sand and stone into the river to shed loads. Over the years, such practices have resulted in sediment buildup.

Meanwhile, local authorities, whom collected shipping lane maintenance fees, are accused of ineffective management and failing to invest sufficiently in scheduled dredging.

Another related cause-and-effect is the construction of the Three-Gorges Dam. According to vice director of Zhuzhou Maritime Affairs Bureau Sun Weixiong, when the dam draws up water to retain a high level at the reservoir, it reduces flows in the Yangtze River's middle reaches and downstream, as well as its tributaries.

Sun explains that the reduced flows thus cause water from other areas, such as the Dongting Lake and Xiang River near the middle reaches, to naturally channel out to refill Yangtze.

In addition, many hydropower stations built in the upstream sections of the Xiang River have also led to a drop in water volume. Sun gives an example: In late 2006, with the completion of the Zhuzhou Kongzhoudao plant, water level upstream of the reservoir had increased substantially and the volume exerted greater pressure on the riverbed, thus increasing its permeability and causing some water to be diverted to underground channels.