Recently, the Maolingdi Reservoir Dam, constructed by the Hydropower Foundation Bureau under Power Construction Corporation of China (POWERCHINA) in Shexian County, Hebei Province—a renowned old revolutionary base area—was successfully capped, one month ahead of the planned schedule. The project has begun to take on flood control functions and has entered the preparatory stage for reservoir impoundment, bringing new development vitality to this old revolutionary base area.

Shexian County is located at the eastern foot of the Taihang Mountains in southwestern Hebei Province, at the junction of Shanxi, Hebei and Henan provinces, and was an important base area in North China during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. The Maolingdi Reservoir is situated on the Qingzhang River within Shexian County. With a total investment of 1.064 billion yuan, the project was included in 2016 in the 13th Five-Year Plan for Water Conservancy Reform and Development, jointly approved by the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. It is a medium-sized water conservancy hub and a "strategic reservoir" for Shexian County, primarily supplying water for urban domestic and industrial use while also serving comprehensive purposes such as flood control, agricultural irrigation and ecological water supply. Upon completion, the project will provide water sources for the three major irrigation districts of Zhangnan, Zhangxi and Zhangbei, ensuring irrigation for 28,500 mu of farmland; supply water to industrial parks such as the Jijin Circular Industry Demonstration Zone; and play a role in storing water during abundant periods and replenishing during dry periods, providing ecological water replenishment to the Qingzhang River, effectively improving the ecological environment and promoting rural revitalization and tourism development. The Hydropower Foundation Bureau undertook tasks including dam filling, left and right abutments, cutoff walls, curtain grouting and construction of the management office.

During the construction period, the project team, through efficient construction organization and coordination and scientific overall management, introduced modern equipment and technologies such as the smart construction site system and the smart material system, achieving intelligent management of the construction site. On October 16, 2024, dam filling officially commenced. During the dam filling process, the project team used the dam smart compaction system to strengthen visual control of filling technical parameters, effectively improving the one-time pass rate of compaction and ensuring the quality of dam body filling.

Next, the project team of the Hydropower Foundation Bureau will continue to advance the subsequent dam crest construction, laying the foundation for the early completion of the project and the benefit of Shexian County.