Beijng is planning to build six lakes and two wetlands along the currently dry Yongding River (known as the Mother River of Beijing). Part of the river flows for 170 kilometres through several districts of Beijing.
The six lakes to be constructed are Mencheng Lake, Lianshi Lake, Xiaoyue Lake, Wanping Lake, Daning Lake, and Daotian Lake, and will 50 kilometers long and 270-hectare water area. Recently, the construction of Wanping Lake and Lianshi Lake started simultaneously at the lower reaches of the Yongding River. These lakes and wetlands are part of a bigger ecological corridor 170km long project which is budget to cost 17 billion yuan (2.5 billion USD).
The water required for the project is 130 million cubic meters is needed to recover Yongding River, and the water will mainly come from reclaimed water and rain. The Qinghe, Xiaohongmen, Lugou Bridge, Wulituo and Mencheng reclaimed water plants will help provide Yongding River with quality water resources that meet the three-star surface water standard. In addition, two million cubic meters of rain can be stored every year for use. A wetland will be built at the upper reaches of every lake in order to further purify the water and ensure that the water in the Yongding River can meet the three or even four-star standard of surface water.
The four lakes will be constructed and filled with water by the end of 2010. The bigger 170 kilometers long ecological corridor projects will be completed by 2014.