Situated just 130 kilometers (78 miles) south of Beijing, the marshy Baiyangdian Lake when full has a surface area of about 360 square kilometers (140 square miles) and has historically provided North China with fresh water and biodiversity.

Known as "the pearl of the north," it was central to the ecological system of the North China Plain, one of China's main breadbaskets, and once boasted a vast array of wildlife and wetland vegetation.

A 1995 study coauthored by Xu found that most rivers and streams that ran into the lake had run dry due to upstream reservoirs holding back water, while pollution had killed off dozens of species of wild fish and other aquatic life.

It also said the lake had lost its ability to clean itself because of the drastically reduced water inflows.

"We recommended many urgent measures and called for all upstream cities and towns to treat their industrial water and sewage before allowing it to enter the lake," Xu said of the study.

"We recommended that the 200,000 people living on the banks of the lake be relocated, especially the fish farmers who are also major polluters, and for the upstream reservoirs to end the hoarding of water."

Fish farms produce a lot of organic pollution from fish excrement and excess food that falls to the bottom below the nets which cause algal blooms that sap the water of oxygen.

Xu conceded the study's proposal was expensive and, due to the number of people vying for water resources, complicated. Since then a few water treatment plants have been built, he said, but little else has been done.

However in August 2005, the Baoding city government, which administers the lake, tabled a 15-year, 8.5 billion yuan ($1.06 billion) plan to clean up the lake and is presently awaiting the Asian Development Bank to approve a $96 million loan to kick-start the effort.

However, it is not clear where the other funds will come from.

Fish farmers on the lake remain skeptical, saying the government has talked about cleaning up the lake for far too long, but the situation has only worsened.

"We have heard the government say they are going to clean up Baiyangdian for years," said Ma Laoban, who oversees a dozen workers on a fish farm in Heyedian.

"They say that when they get the money they are going to close down our fish farms and relocate us. They registered us for relocation years ago.

"But it's a lot of talk. And as long as they keep talking, we will keep farming our fish. We can't do anything else."

Get More News: