LASN is a photographically oriented, professional journal featuring topics of concern and state-of-the-art projects designed or influenced by registered Landscape Architects.
Issue link: https://landscapearchitect.epubxp.com/i/807417
80 Landscape Architect and Specifier News Above: These grasslands were fairly recently the muddy lakebed of Poyang Lake. The lake has dramatically shrunk due to massive dredging of sand to meet construction demands for the fine aggregate. Drought and dam water storage have also played a role. The lake has gone from covering 1,400 sq. miles to as little as 77 sq. miles. PHOTO: XINHUA The Muddy, Disappearing Waters of China's Largest Freshwater Lake The Guardian reports ( https://tinyurl. com/gmcxfh5 ) there are hundreds of dredgers on Poyang Lake in China scooping up unimaginable amounts of sand from this largest of China's freshwater lakes. A large dredger can suck up 10,000 tons of sand in an hour. Such production makes the lakebed the largest sand mine on the planet. The sand is required for China's building boom. Sand, a natural fine aggregate, is required for Portland cement concrete and hot mix asphalt. Shanghai, alone, has built more high-rises than there are in all of New York City, says the Guardian. There's an estimated 30 times more sand leaving than coming in from tributaries. The lake's outflow channel has greatly deepened and widened, about doubling the amount of water flowing out into the Yangtze. The predictable environmental outcome is low water levels, poor water quality, lost of surrounding wetland, a detriment to fish breeding grounds and millions of migratory birds, wildlife and nearby human inhabitants. The Whanganui—a Living Entity The BBC reports a bill passed in the New Zealand parliament to recognize the Whanganui River on North Island as "a living entity." This designation allows the river to be represented in court proceedings. The river will have human representation by one member of the Maori tribes, and one member of the Crown (New Zealand is a member of the British Commonwealth, now referred to as the Commonwealth of Nations). The river is New Zealand's longest navigable waterway, running from Mount Tongariro to the Tasman Sea, a 180 course through rugged and remote lands that include Tongariro National Park and Whanganui National Park. PHOTO: WIKIPEDIA COMMONS I n f o r m a t i o n R e q u e s t # 5 3 3