Taiwan removes 25.12 million cubic meters of sediment from reservoirs in 2024

2024年台灣水庫清淤2512萬立方米

Government implements dredging, excavation, and hydraulic flushing to boost sediment removal


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Water Resources Agency said Monday that 25.12 million cubic meters of sediment was removed from reservoirs across Taiwan last year.

The agency said that compared to 2022, 4.62 million cubic meters more sediment was removed from reservoirs last year. Taiwan's steep reservoir catchment areas are highly susceptible to large amounts of sediment during typhoons and heavy rainfall, CNA reported.

The agency said the average annual sediment inflow to reservoirs across Taiwan is about 17.6 million cubic meters. The agency has enhanced sediment removal from reservoirs since 2022 by implementing methods, including dredging, excavation, and hydraulic flushing during typhoons.

Taoyuan’s Shimen, Chiayi’s Zengwen, and Tainan’s Nanhua and Baihe reservoirs utilized rainfall from typhoons Gaemi, Krathon, and Kong-rey last year to conduct hydraulic flushing, removing 6.87 million cubic meters of sediment.

The agency said Shimen Reservoir has removed 13.51 million cubic meters of sediment from 2022 to last year. The reservoir's average annual sediment removal reached 4.5 million cubic meters, marking a 74.96% increase from previous levels.

The reservoir operates three dredgers for sediment removal. They removed more than 4.2 million cubic meters of sediment last year, making them the key contributors to the reservoir's cleanup efforts.

The agency will continue sediment removal operations at the nation's reservoirs. It will also collaborate with relevant agencies to enhance soil and water conservation and manage sediment in catchment areas.