Since the beginning of March, the weather has gradually warmed up. As temperatures continue to rise, the water conservancy department of Changji City, Xinjiang, has taken preventive measures by actively organizing manpower to promptly clear ice and snow at various stations and gate entrances along the 195 kilometers of main canals and branch canals in the city's Santun River irrigation district. Dedicated personnel are assigned every day to patrol and monitor the ice, snow, and water conditions of the upstream reservoirs of the canal system and the upper reaches of the Santun River in a timely manner, ensuring the smooth progress of spring flood control and irrigation work.

　　Early on the morning of the 5th, at the East Main Canal Head Water Conservancy Hub Station of the Santun River Basin Management Office in Changji City, the reporter saw staff members busy clearing snow from the intake gate, flood discharge gate, sand flushing gate, overflow weir, and flood retention dam using shovels, brooms, and other snow-clearing tools.

　　Wang Zewen, 57, is a villager from Xinhu Village, Sangong Town, Changji City, and lives near the aforementioned hub station. Seeing the staff clearing snow, he and 14 other villagers from the village voluntarily joined the effort to break the ice and open the canals. After a full morning of hard work, the snow at the hub station was completely cleared. Looking at the results of their labor, he and the villagers were overjoyed. Wang Zewen said: "The weather has warmed up and the snow has started to melt. We came to the East Main Canal Head Water Conservancy Hub Station to clear the snow beneath the gates. With the snow cleared, it will be easier for us to irrigate in the spring."

　　The East Main Canal Head Water Conservancy Hub Station of the Santun River Basin Management Office in Changji City consists of 2 intake gates, 5 flood discharge gates, 3 sand flushing gates, and a 107.65-meter-long overflow weir. Since the beginning of spring, the station has promptly arranged personnel to patrol and monitor snow cover and ice/snow melt conditions at the hub station, ensuring flood control safety and smooth spring irrigation.

　　Diliyaer Bahatiyaer, deputy head of the East Main Canal Head Water Conservancy Hub Station of the Santun River Basin Management Office in Changji City, said that in the coming period, monitoring will be carried out at all times based on temperature changes, ice and snow melt, and river inflow conditions to ensure the safety of river flood passage and the smooth supply of water for agricultural irrigation.

　　At the West Main Canal Head Water Conservancy Hub Station of the Santun River Basin Management Office in Changji City, the reporter saw staff members using pickaxes, spades, shovels, and other snow-clearing tools to break, pierce, and clear nearly 40 centimeters of ice that had accumulated over the winter in the intake gate, flood discharge gate, and side weir. The entire operation was in full swing.

　　The Santun River irrigation district is located in the middle section of the northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains and on the southern edge of the Junggar Basin. Its upper reaches include two medium-sized reservoirs, the Santun River Reservoir and the Nurjia Reservoir, three canal headworks, and three water conveyance main canals. It is a national large-scale irrigation district and is responsible for flood control and drought relief, agricultural irrigation, and urban domestic water supply in Changji City. The irrigation district covers a total area of 1.03 million mu and mainly grows crops such as wheat, cotton, tomatoes, corn, and sugar beets. To ensure the safety of flood passage in the irrigation district and the smooth progress of spring irrigation, the Santun River Basin Management Office has adopted a number of effective measures and made every effort to prevent spring floods and ensure spring irrigation.

　　Xu Mengke, deputy head of the Changji City Water Conservancy Management Station and deputy director of the Changji City Santun River Basin Management Office, said: "Next, we plan to carry out maintenance and upkeep on 97 gates and hoists before spring irrigation. Based on upstream inflow conditions, we will set up an emergency flood control and rescue detachment on standby at all times, implement a 24-hour flood control duty and inspection system, keep abreast of weather conditions, and stay informed about inflow in the upper reaches of the Santun River and water storage in the Nurjia Reservoir. We will inspect spring flood control roads at dangerous sections and key weak spots, and clear obstacles and dredge the roads. Through a series of measures, we will ensure the smooth progress of spring flood control and irrigation work in Changji City."