West Huang Village in Heshizhen is located at the eastern gateway of the town. In mid-October, as we stroll along Huanghe Road on the north side of the Rutai River, we arrive at West Huang Village. The waterways are sparkling with clear water and fish swimming peacefully; trees line the riverbanks and sway gracefully in harmony with the golden rice fields. The two main channels, West and East Bamei Port, each stretch 1,400 meters from west to east, connecting to the 240-meter-long Aiziko Port, which flows north through the village from the Rutai River. The names of these channels derive from their original 8-mu (about 0.53 hectares) size when they were excavated to connect the water systems years ago. Aiziko Port lies between the two Bamei ports, with the 2-6 Group of Zhuang River flowing like a silver ribbon from west to east, showcasing an idyllic rural scene of "small bridges and flowing water."
According to Huang Jianbin, the village-level river chief, party secretary, and director, in recent years, the village has focused on constructing beautiful water landscapes as a strategy, substantially implementing the River Chief System. The banks of the East and West Bamei ports have been reinforced with vertical wall slopes extending 800 meters from the Rutai River to the north, while ecological slopes have been established along the entire length of Aiziko Port. The 600-meter stretch of Zhuang River, which runs through the village, has also been equipped with high-standard vertical walls, complemented by vibrant flowers such as Chinese crabapples, cherry blossoms, crepe myrtles, and osmanthus, along with dozens of decorative lights, transforming it into a favorite landscape river for villagers.
The village has successfully transformed four river channels into "happy rivers and lakes" and has received accolades as a "Beautiful Water Village" in Jiangsu Province, also ranking first in the city's rural revitalization efforts. This year, the village committee and party secretary have creatively pushed forward the River Chief System to reinforce past achievements in river management and proactively advance ecological river and lake development. To create ecological channels characterized by "clear waters, lush banks, smooth rivers, and beautiful scenery," West Huang Village, guided by the town's water conservancy office, emphasizes management. For the parts of the river beneficial for aquaculture, the village has adopted a model of "using the river to nurture the river,” effectively addressing financial pressures by contracting the management of East Bamei Port, West Bamei Port, Aiziko Port, and Zhuang River to local villagers for a five-year term. Contracts include provisions for river cleanliness and bank greening, focusing on cultivating fish species such as grass carp, bluegill, and silver carp, with over 20,000 fish fry released. This initiative not only alleviates financial burdens on the village collective but also increases collective income while enhancing the village's water environment.
For sections of the Zhuang River not suitable for aquaculture, such as Shenjiagou, Group 13, and the boundary river, a specialized team of five or six members has been established to maintain cleanliness and manage the banks. Daily river monitoring is a routine duty for the village river chief, particularly essential during critical times or inclement weather. During this year’s defense against Typhoon "Zhu Jie Cao," Huang Jianbin led a team that remained vigilant along the riverbanks. One afternoon, while patrolling, they discovered rising waters in the Aiziko Port section posed a drainage risk due to blockages. They promptly organized local villagers, ensuring safety and the interests of fish farmers, to quickly mitigate obstruction and maintain unobstructed flow in the river.
Since the beginning of this year, the village has conducted over 400 patrols and addressed around four to five hazards effectively. The creation of ecological river channels remains a top priority in the village’s River Chief System efforts and the ultimate aspiration of achieving "Beautiful Water West Huang." According to River Chief Huang Jianbin, the village previously spent around 40,000 yuan annually on river cleanup. Since the implementation of the “using the river to nurture the river” model last year, annual maintenance costs have decreased by nearly 30,000 yuan, generating some economic benefits and providing a valuable fishing platform for villagers returning home during holidays. A multifaceted effort is laying a solid foundation for building the village's ecological river channels.
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