The Yellow River

An article in this months issue of National Geographic titled, " A Third of Fish Species in China River Extinct, Officials Say", by Brian Handwerk, discusses the dangerous pollution and water levels in Chinese rivers. The Yellow River has lost more than 30% of its fish species, and the species that remain are becoming scarce. The MOA official reported that the fish catch in the river is down 40%. He says that, " Over fishing, persistent dumping, and hydropower projects along the river have degraded the underwater ecological environment." The government estimates that 66% of the Yellow River is polluted and undrinkable. Aside from the Yellow River, the government thinks that around 70% of the Country’s rivers and lakes are seriously polluted.
Due to extended droughts and over usage of the water, the river has suffered from decreased flows. With low water levels the concentration of the pollution becomes greater and more species will suffer.