Chapter 4 Chapter 03 Attract water from the sky and cut off the dust of the world——A record of water control in the Hetao area

There is an old proverb that "the Yellow River is full of harm, but only rich". The so-called "Tao" refers to the "Hetao" section of the upper reaches of the Yellow River. It is a geographical concept, including the irrigation areas diverted from the Yellow River in Ningxia and Inner Mongolia, collectively referred to as "Hetao irrigation areas".Ningxia irrigation area is called "Xitao" or "Qiantao", and Inner Mongolia irrigation area is called "Houtao".How did Hetao get its name? The Yellow River originates from Maqu [Yoguzong Liequ] in Qinghai Province, flows out from the foothills of Yaladaze Mountain and Kariqu in the Bayan Har Mountains, flows out of the foothills of Geziya Mountain, meets near Eling, and then flows from Qinghai Province to Sichuan Province , and then enter Gansu Province from Sichuan Province, and flow into the Loess Plateau through the middle and east of Gansu Province.Since then, the river has carried rich sediment like a golden torrent, headed eastward all the way, cutting mountains and valleys, crossing wastelands and deserts, and flowing through nine provinces including Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, and Shandong. [District], and finally flows into the sea [Bohai Sea] from Lijin City, Shandong Province.The Yellow River is upstream above Hekou Town, Tuoketuo County, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, with a length of 3,472 kilometers.

In a broad sense, the Yellow River forms a large saddle-shaped bend in the five provinces [districts] of Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, and Shanxi in its upper reaches, starting from Shapotou, Zhongwei City, Ningxia, to Qingshuihe Lama, Inner Mongolia. Wanzhi is called "Hetao".It is named because it resembles the lasso used in nomadic horse training.The total area of ​​the Hetao Irrigation District is about 34,000 square kilometers.It is composed of Ningxia Plain, Houtao Plain [also known as "Wuyuan-Shaanba Plain"], and Qiantao Plain [also known as "Tumed Plain"].

The Hetao area was once called "Hetao Land" in history, and it is a vast and fertile alluvial plain of the Yellow River, so it is also called "Hetao Plain" geographically.As early as the Qin and Han Dynasties, the Central Plains Dynasty migrated a large number of inland people here for reclamation and frontier defense. The Hetao Plain was developed on a large scale at that time, and the production and development of agriculture and animal husbandry took the lead in the country. People at that time praised "Henan Land" It is called "New Qinzhong".At that time, the 800-li Qinchuan in the Weihe Irrigation District of Shaanxi Province was the richest area in the world. There was a saying that "the one who wins Guanzhong [Qinzhong] wins the world". "New Qinzhong".

In a narrow sense, the so-called Hetao refers to the fact that the Yellow River "enters the set" from the exit of Qingtong Gorge between Niushou Mountain and Helan Mountain in Ningxia [there is also a saying that it enters the set from Hengcheng Castle in Yinchuan], and flows north through the eastern foot of Helan Mountain and Yinshan Mountain. From the south to the west of Luya Mountain, then turns east to Tuoketuo County, Inner Mongolia, and then turns south to Huangfuchuan, Fugu County, Shaanxi Province "out of the set". A large curved area in the shape of "Ji" is called "Hetao", and it is collectively called "Hetao Plain".There is also a narrower saying that Hetao only refers to the Yellow Irrigation Area in Inner Mongolia. The September 1999 edition of "Ci Hai" explained Hetao as follows:

"Refers to the area along the Yellow River to the east of Helan Mountain in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, south of Langshan Mountain and Daqing Mountain. Because the Yellow River flows into a big bend, it is named. It is bounded by Wulashan Mountain, the east is Qiantao, and the west is It is called Houtao. Also known as Qiantao, the area south of the Yellow River and north of the Great Wall is called Qiantao, which is symmetrical to Houtao on the north bank of the Yellow River. It is mainly the alluvial plain of the Yellow River. Irrigation agriculture has been developed since ancient times, and ditches are vertical and horizontal. It is an important commodity grain base in China."

The Ningxia section where the Yellow River flows is the upper reaches of the Yellow River.From below Lanzhou, the Yellow River flows along the western edge of the Loess Plateau, flanked by surging mountains.From the aerial photos, countless undulating peaks guard a winding Bailian, and the Yellow River passes through canyons from time to time, which is a magnificent and unique natural landscape.Entering Ningxia, there are two canyons, one is Heishan Gorge and the other is Qingtong Gorge.From the geological perspective of the Yellow River Basin, the reason why the Yellow River turns north after exiting the Qingtong Gorge is because of the obstruction of the Ordos Platform; and the turning direction from north to south follows the outline of the edge of the Ordos Platform.This trend of the Yellow River forms the north-south geographical framework of the Ningxia Plain and the Hetao Plain.Therefore, the Yellow River gave birth to the Yellow River culture and the Yellow River agricultural civilization.

The formation of the geographical concept of "Hetao" first appeared in the Ming Dynasty. According to the "Hetao Zhi · Li Fu Preface" edited in the seventh year of Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty [1742], it said: "Its land is away from the river on three sides, and it is called Hetao in the Ming Dynasty." When did the Ming Dynasty form this geographical concept and call it this big What about the place name of the district?After checking the "Ming Shilu", "Hetao", as a specific geographical concept name, first appeared in the first year of Ming Jingtai [1450] May Renxu.At that time, the imperial court wrote in the imperial edict issued to Zhang Tai, the general soldier of Ningxia: "Someone who came from Yansui said that this spring, the Tartars crossed the river and committed Ningxia. Thousands of them could not be returned due to freezing. They came to loot while they were still in the Yellow River Tao "In the eighth year of Tianshun [1464] December Dinghai, there is another record that "Wang Qing, the eunuch who guards Ningxia, once searched the Hetao...traversed the Hetao to search for places, and tried his best to capture them, smash their nests, and eliminate their species".In the second year of Chenghua [1466] Yiyou recorded in the third month of leap: "The Ministry of War said that the captive Mao Lihai was still watching in Hetao." Dingbian invaded Ningxia...Because of this, the bandits went to Hetao for a long time and were very sleepy, and the ministers expected that they would definitely join the bandits." In the eighth year of Chenghua [1472] in February Yiyou, Bai Gui, Minister of the Ministry of War, wrote a letter saying: "It must be done in February next year. The moon searched and suppressed Hetao on a large scale, and the concubine reaped the merits once and for all." According to the analysis of the records of "Ming Shilu", the name "Hetao" appeared in the early years of Zhengtong [1436-1438], and from Jingtai to Tianshun years [1450-1464] is commonly used.This can be seen from the memorial to the imperial court recorded by Ma Wensheng, the left capital censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate in the "Records of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty" in the first year of Hongzhi [1488] May Jiazi.In his memorial, he first traced the history of Hetao. When he described it to the Ming Dynasty, he wrote: "[For the Hetao area], our dynasty established the Xingdu Division, and Emperor Taizong Wen ordered officials to guard it. , Lai Jingyuanbo, Wang Ji, and Dingxi Hou Jianggui Kepingzhi. During the Tianshun period, Bolai and Maolihai were in trouble, and they lured and defeated Ningxia's deputy general, Qiu Lian, and lost tens of thousands of troops. Naturally, the captives and Hetao bandits copied endlessly." Fourteen years later In the 14th year of Hongzhi [1501] December Yichou, a member of the Ministry of Criminal Affairs of Nanjing, Li Zuo, in his letter to the imperial court on the management of Hetao, also first reviewed the history of the success and failure of the Central Plains Dynasty since the Zhou Dynasty and the Han and Tang Dynasties in the management of Hetao. .When talking about the Ming Dynasty, he said: "Our orthodoxy has changed, and we have captives from Datong people... The two evils of the Song Dynasty and the Northwest, and our dynasty's reality... The Yellow River is the limit of Huayi. Now the barbarians are abandoned and China is lost. Dangerous...make the barbarians think of it as a nest..." The two ministers before and after the discussion on Hetao agreed that the change of the situation in Hetao started from "the beginning of Zhengtong" and "Jisi of Zhengtong" [that is, the turn of the end of Zhengtong and the beginning of Jingtai].It can be seen that the Hetao issue has attracted the attention of the Ming court, and it should be in the orthodox dynasty.The appearance of the name of Hetao should also be at this time.Since then, there have been a large number of Hetao in books and materials related to Ming history, and they are endless in history books.

Emperor Qin and Han Wu immigrated to the border—— The ancient oriental culture characterized by agricultural civilization is most prominently manifested in its special reliance on water resources and water conservancy.Judging from the earliest collection of poems, water irrigation in the Zhou Dynasty had reached a certain scale, and the real large-scale irrigation of farmland had entered the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods.The pioneering channel for agricultural irrigation in Hetao is a symbol of agricultural civilization in the Hetao Plain.The Yellow River flows through the Hetao area, which is abundant in water and rich in organic matter.It is an important part of the famous Hetao irrigation area, where the water from the Yellow River has been diverted for irrigation for more than 2,000 years.After generations of development and management, it has already become a rich and prosperous area in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, known as the "Saibei Jiangnan".

Hetao's diversion of water from the Yellow River for irrigation is closely related to immigration and frontier defense. Immigration and defense of the border began in the Qin Dynasty and flourished in the Han Dynasty.There are two theories about when the diversion of water from the Yellow River for irrigation began. One is that it began during the time of Emperor Qin Shihuang, and the other is that it began during the time of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.According to historical records such as "Historical Records" and "Hanshu", the Hetao Plain was still a nomadic area where "Qiang Rong lived" during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period [770-221 BC]. The battle for land.After Qin Shihuang unified the six countries, the Xiongnu in the north threatened the safety of the new Qin Dynasty. "In the thirty-two year of the first emperor [215 years ago], Qin Shihuang sent General Meng Tian to send 300,000 troops to attack Hu in the north and take Henan." , that is, today’s northern Ningxia, south of Hetao, Inner Mongolia, and northern Shaanxi].In the thirty-three years of the first emperor [214 years ago], he also "repelled the Xiongnu from the northwest, and from Yuzhong to the east of the river, which belonged to the Yinshan Mountains, and thought that the thirty-four counties [forty-four counties in Han Shu] were fortified on the city river."Among them are Fuping County and Shenquan and Hunhuai two pavilions in Hedong, Ningxia. "Relocation, the first counties of reality" means to move the criminals from the mainland to live in these newly established counties.In the thirty-sixth year of the first emperor [211 years ago], he also "moved 30,000 families in Yuzhong, Beihe" [Yuzhong, which is now the Hetao of Inner Mongolia and the eastern plateau of Ordos].At that time, Qin not only had a large army stationed in this area, but also lived in criminals and people who had migrated from the inland.There is no food for food, and it has to be transported long distances from the inland, and the cost is extremely high on the way. The so-called "30 minutes to one stone", one minute is 6.4 stones, that is, nearly 192 stones of grain are transported. There is only one stone left.Although it is exaggerated, it is true that the consumption and loss along the way was huge.To solve the supply problem in a timely and effective manner, the only way is to cultivate crops on the spot and produce food.Those who say that irrigation from the Yellow River in Hetao began when Qin Shihuang thought: "Before Qin Shihuang unified the six countries, Dujiangyan without a dam for water diversion and Zhengguo Canal with a dam for water diversion and irrigation had already been established. In the border areas, it was necessary to turn pasture land into cultivated land to achieve self-sufficiency. It was inevitable to use the accumulated water conservancy technology experience to divert water from the Yellow River, open canals for irrigation, and develop agriculture. However, the diversion of Yellow River irrigation at that time was not large-scale. Smaller projects will not be recorded, and even if there are private records, they will be lost after the wars at the end of the Qin Dynasty." There is some truth to this statement, but due to the lack of reliable literature records or archaeological evidence, it can only be used as "hands down".It is recorded in the history books that irrigation from the Yellow River in Hetao began in the time of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. "Historical Records" records that after the death of Qin Shihuang in the summer of 209 BC, "The princes rebelled against Qin, China was disturbed, and those who moved to the border of Qin all returned, so the Xiongnu were relieved and crossed Henan a little bit, and bordered China with the old fortress." .Qin died and Han prospered. At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, the national power was weak, so they adopted the policy of peace and friendship with the Xiongnu, but the Xiongnu continued to invade the Han border and plundered people, animals and property.Make the northern border counties "no farm animals".By the time of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, after 70 or 80 years of recuperation, the national power was strong, so in the second year of Yuanshuo [127 BC], the generals Wei Qing, Li Xi, etc. were sent to "strike Hu's tower, and the Aries King was in Henan, and won the head of Hu. There were thousands of captives and more than a million cattle and sheep, so the Han Dynasty took the land of Henan and built Shuofang, restoring the old fortress that Meng Tian had made in Qin, and it was solidified by the river."Emperor Wu also adopted the suggestion of Pingjin Hou Zhufu Yan, established Shuofang County, "recruited 100,000 migrants, engaged in reclamation, and transferred to the province."In the fourth year of Yuanshou [119 years ago] there was a flood in the east of the Guandong, and the people were too hungry and unable to save each other.In the fifth year of Yuanshou [118 years ago], the treacherous officials and people all over the world were moved to the northern frontier.In the sixth year of Yuanding [111 years ago], "Shangjun, Shuofang, Xihe, and Hexi opened the field officials, reprimanded the soldiers, and 600,000 people garrisoned the fields."During the reign of Emperor Wu, several consecutive large-scale immigrants came to the border, engaged in farming, and implemented military settlements and vigorously managed them. "It was after the Xiongnu fled far away, and there was no royal court in the south of the curtain. The Han Dynasty crossed the river from the west of Shuofang to Lingju, often through the canal, and set up 50,000 to 60,000 officials and soldiers."It shows that on the alluvial plain along the Yellow River between the west of Baotou and the vicinity of Lanzhou, canals are being opened to divert water from the Yellow River for irrigation. "Shuofang also crossed the canal, with tens of thousands of authors, each with two or three phases. The contribution was not completed, and the cost was also huge." It shows that the development of the Yellow River irrigation area paid a huge price at that time.In the second year of Yuanfeng, Emperor Wu led a group of ministers and people to block the Yellow River Huzi [the embankment south of Puyang, Henan] after the breach, "those who use things contend for water conservancy, and Shuofang, Xihe, Hexi, and Jiuquan all lead the river and valleys to irrigate the fields." According to the textual research of Du You, a person from the Tang Dynasty, the Xihe refers to the section of the Yellow River from Lingwu, Ningxia to Wuyuan, Inner Mongolia, not Xihe County.From the above records, we can see that it is credible that the diversion of the Yellow River for irrigation in the Hetao area began in the time of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.

The ruins of the city of Han and the tombs of the Han Dynasty found in various parts of the Hetao Plain have also confirmed that there was indeed a considerable scale of canal opening and reclamation activities in the Han Dynasty. It may have been excavated during Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. In agriculture-based China, water control is a major plan for governing the country.The advancement and retreat of the water conservancy industry has been a strong evidence of the rise and fall of dynasties.The water conservancy in the Hetao Plain, since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, has also flourished and declined with the rise and fall of feudal dynasties, but it is always advancing.

In the early Eastern Han Dynasty [25-88 years], the water conservancy and irrigation of the Hetao Plain developed on the basis of the creation and formation of the Western Han Dynasty.By the time of Emperor An [107-125], due to the strength of the Western Qiang, they invaded border counties and caused frequent wars. In order to avoid war disasters, officials and people moved inward one after another.In the time of Emperor Shun [126-144], the Western Qiang moved northward, and the border counties became more peaceful. In the fourth year of Yongjian in the Han Dynasty [129], the servant of Shangshu, She Yuxu, wrote a letter to the three counties and said: "Yu Gong Yongzhou In the field, Jue Tian is the only one, and there are thousands of miles of fertile fields, and the grain and crops are accumulated...Because the canals are used to irrigate, the water is used to pound the river, and the labor is saved, but the army food is sufficient. Therefore, Emperor Xiaowu and Emperor Guangwu built Shuofang, Kaixi River, and set up Shangjun. That’s why.” Emperor Shuzuo was the three prefectures [Anding, Beidi, and Shangjun]. Since then, dredging the canals of the Jihe River has become a farmland, and the county fees in the province are worth hundreds of millions of years."The Hetao Plain belongs to Beidi County, and its water conservancy irrigation has been restored, and the quality of the project has been improved, and it has been able to do the "Jihe" project. The method of stimulating the river is to drop the rocks in the river and sink them to form a submerged dam, so as to raise the water level of the canal mouth and increase the amount of water entering the canal.Without certain skills, it is difficult to sink to the predetermined position. The so-called "make the water flow down, no one can cure it; stimulate it up, it is a coincidence".The main water diversion channels without dams in the Hetao area all use this method to divert water, and the masses call it "Diversion Pai", also known as "Yingshui Pai". After the Eastern Han Dynasty, through the Three Kingdoms and the Two Jin Dynasties, the Hetao Plain was occupied by nomadic peoples such as Qiang, Xiongnu and Xianbei for 200 years, with frequent wars and a decline in water conservancy.After the Northern Wei Dynasty unified northern China, there was a stable situation and the water conservancy industry was revived.In the fifth year of Taiping Zhenjun [444], Diao Yong served as the general of Bogulu Town [the township is located in Litong District, Wuzhong City, Ningxia].At the end of April, when he took office, he saw that "the official canal was short of water and could not be widely cultivated, and the soldiers were overpopulated, and the rate was frugal."Therefore, please open the Aishan Canal on the above table [Note: The total length of the Aishan Canal is 120 miles, and the water diversion capacity is 30 cubic meters per second to 40 cubic meters per second. A new canal was dug 8 miles north of the ancient high canal in the west of Hexi, 5 miles below the sub-river of the Shazhou River, and entered the ancient high canal 40 miles northward, and then 80 miles northward, with a total length of 120 miles.In order to ensure the water intake of the newly built canal, a dam was built on the West River [Yellow River Branch] from southeast to northwest to cut off the West River, "so that the water from the West River will flow into the new canal, and the water will be sufficient to irrigate the private fields of officials. More than 40,000 hectares". "Official courses are often filled, and the people are also rich." There are also more than 1,000 hectares of Bugulu canal irrigated fields, which may also be presided over by Diao Yong.The Yellow River irrigation project initiated by Diao Yong is very conducive to the development of agricultural production.A few years later, grain production and storage increased greatly. In the seventh year of Taiping Zhenjun [446], on behalf of the four towns of Gaoping, Anding, Tongwan and Bogulu Towns, 5,000 vehicles were dispatched to transport them to Woye Town in the north. Grain is 500,000 hu.It shows that Bogulu Town's farmland and water conservancy are both good, and the military rations of other towns also depend on the supply of farmland here.Diao Yong presided over the completion of the Yellow River Diversion Project, probably because the dam body is not easy to maintain, and the application time is not very long.Because Li Daoyuan annotated "Shui Jing" only sixty or seventy years ago, but there is no record of this canal.However, it has unique features in site selection and project layout, which have a greater impact on later generations.Due to the construction of water conservancy, Bogulu Town became a prosperous Yintian area in the Northern Wei Dynasty. The grain produced was more than self-sufficient, and it was often transported to support neighboring areas. The Tang Dynasty was another unified and powerful dynasty after the Qin and Han Dynasties in Chinese history. The rulers of the Tang Dynasty knew that water control was a major plan for governing the country and the country. They set up the Ministry of Water under the Minister of the Ministry of Industry. The eleventh year of Xuanzong Tianbao [752] 】The Ministry of Water was changed to be the Department of Water, "in charge of the decrees of the rivers and ponds in the world, so as to guide the ditches, weirs and canals, and the benefits of irrigating all boats and boats, all of which are salty."At the same time, the Water Supervision of the Capital was set up, "in charge of the government decrees of Sichuan, Ze, Jin and Liang, the officials of the two departments of boats and canals, the harvesting of Yuheng, the destruction of canals, weirs and ponds, and the irrigation of farmland and Doumen, all of which are government orders" ["Old Book of Tang·Records of Officials].In the Tang Dynasty, farmland water conservancy was widely developed, and formed a climax in the early Tang Dynasty.According to the "Old Tang Book Geographical Records", there were more than 250 irrigation areas in the country in Tang Dynasty, among which there were 33 large irrigation areas with an irrigation area of ​​more than 1,000 hectares, and Hetao irrigation area was one of them.At that time, it was an important border town area.The Tang Dynasty attached great importance to farming in the Hetao Plain [in the Tang Dynasty, it was called "Yingtian"]. Taizong Li Shimin visited Lingzhou in the 20th year of Zhenguan [646] and ordered the construction of small houses [that is, "Tuntian Office"], opened Tuntian.During Wu Zetian's reign [690-692], Lou Shide supervised the farming, "returning to Ling and Xia, inspecting the farming, and the yield is high, and the capital is rapidly accumulating." Because of his meritorious service in farming, he moved to the prime minister.Wu Zetian summoned Lou Shide and said: "Wang Shiwai's town must use the border to camp the land." Water conservancy irrigation supports the development of the camp.At that time, not only the original canals were fully renovated, but also a number of new canals were opened. "Book of Tang" records that during Suzong's time [756-761], Guo Ziyi opened the Fengning Army Yushi Canal on the west bank of the Yellow River, irrigating more than 2,000 hectares of land.In the fifteenth year of Tang Xianzong Yuanhe [820], Li Ting was appointed as the governor of Lingzhou, and led his troops to dredge "the Guanglu Canal that had been blocked for a long time, and the thousands of hectares of land under the plug, so that future generations will depend on him."In July of the fourth year of Changqing (824) of Emperor Muzong of the Tang Dynasty, he ordered to open the Lingzhou Tejin Canal and set up 600 hectares of camp land.The new and old "Book of Tang" and "Pictures of Yuanhe Prefectures and Counties" record that the channel on the Hetao Plain in the Tang Dynasty was the Han Canal [in Hexi, south of Lingwu County in Tang Dynasty], which irrigated more than 500 hectares of land.Yushi Canal [in Hexi], irrigating 2000 hectares of fields.Guanglu Canal [in the east of the river] irrigates more than a thousand hectares of fields.Special Jinqu [in Hedong, Tang Huile County], irrigating 600 hectares of fields.Bogulu Canal [in Hedong, south of Huile County in Tang Dynasty], irrigated more than a thousand hectares of fields.There are also seven canals [in Hedong], Shangshu [in Hedong], Hu Yubaijia [two canals are in Hexi] and other canals, with a total irrigated area of ​​700,000 to 800,000 mu.During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties for more than 300 years, except for the Northern Wei Dynasty, which was relatively stable for more than 100 years, the rest of the wars continued, water conservancy was abolished, and agriculture declined. It was not until the Tang Dynasty that water conservancy was promoted and farming was developed that irrigation agriculture was revived and developed. While building various water conservancy projects in the Tang Dynasty, it also strengthened water conservancy management, and formulated the water conservancy management regulations "Ministry of Water".From the fragments of the second volume of "Mingsha Shishi Suicide Notes" compiled by Luo Zhenyu, "Shuibu Shi", the water conservancy and irrigation system in the Tang Dynasty has detailed records, such as where to install Doumen, how to save water, and how to organize manpower and material resources. Maintenance, as well as staffing, etc., have specific regulations.For example, in the placement of Doumen, it is stipulated that "Where the Jingwei Baiqu and other large canals are irrigated with water, Doumen shall be installed, and stones and trees shall be placed next to the walls to make them firm. It is not appropriate to build weirs for canals. All irrigation For large canals, those with high submerged ground should not be used as canals to build weirs, and the high-potential places on the upper stream will be drawn by Doumen, and all Doumen must be inspected and resettled by prefectural and county courts, and private construction is not allowed."There are also quite detailed regulations on water conservation.For example, when will irrigation be "opened" in various places, the ratio of water distribution, and the increase of rain and floods.Regarding the scope of duties of water officials at all levels, it is required that "all the canal chiefs and Doumen chiefs know how much water can be saved when watering the fields. The prefectures and counties each have an official inspection school every year. The chief and the capital's water lawsuits are time-added. Inspection. If the water is used to obtain what it needs, the fields are abundant, and those who are not strict with water use and waste water conservancy, the merits and demerits will be recorded at the end of the year.There are also specific requirements for the maintenance of the qutang and weirs, "Longshou, Jingyan, Wumen, Liumen, Shengyuan and other weirs are ordered to be inspected by the nearby county officials. Twenty men, twelve craftsmen, divided into guards, open and close to save water, and repair all damages immediately.As for irrigation water, the regulations are quite specific. "Where the fields are irrigated, they must be predicted according to the number of acres, and they are used sequentially. The water will be blocked immediately, so that it is uniform and not partial." class", and so on. During the Tang Tianbao period [724-756], the Shuofang Jiedu envoy stationed in Lingzhou had 64,700 soldiers and 4,300 horses. The soldiers were strong and the horses were strong.The supply of grain and grass is huge, but due to the construction of water conservancy projects and the large-scale cultivation of fields, the grain and crops are accumulated, but "there is no need to bother with the cost of grain purchases, and there is no difficulty in re-transporting" ["Old Tang Book·Biography·Lou Shi"], the reception is The Heavenly Emperor's Ink Book Commendation.At this time, the Hetao Plain has become one of the main farming areas in the country. The poet Wei Chan's poem "Sending Lu Fan Shangshu Zhilingwu" said: "The orchard at the foot of Helan Mountain has become a [city], and the south of the Yangtze River in the north of the Great Wall is well-known. The water, wood, and Zhuhu are dark. , with bows and knives, thousands of riders and iron clothes." It can be seen that before the Tang Dynasty, the Hetao Plain had been called "Saibei Jiangnan".The origin of this name, according to the Sui "Tu Jing" records, in the second year of Xuanzheng in the Northern Zhou Dynasty [note: the second year of Xuanzheng is actually the first year of Dacheng, that is, 579), the general Wang Gui of the Northern Zhou Dynasty defeated the Chen general Wu Mingche of the Southern Dynasty and captured 30,000 soldiers. Yu people moved their people to Lingzhou, "the people in Jiangzuo respect rituals and love to learn, and their customs are adapted to each other", so they are called "Saibei Jiangnan".According to the records of Huaiyuan Town in Volume 18 of the first collection of "Wu Jing Zong Yao", "there are paddy fields and orchards, and weirs are placed to divide the rivers to irrigate the fields, and the name is 'Saibei Jiangnan'. That's it."It can be seen that the Hetao Plain is called "Saibei Jiangnan", not only because the customs and etiquette are similar to Jiangnan, but also because the natural environment caused by the irrigation system is similar to Jiangnan.With the development of water conservancy and irrigation, the irrigation system as dense as a spider's web is no different from that of Jiangnan water town.Ming Hongzhi's "Ningxia New Records Preface" said: "Ningxia is thousands of miles away, with the Yellow River on the left and Helan on the right. In the past and present, there is a beautiful place in the past, and there is also a small south of the Yangtze River." According to the "Ningxia Fuzhi" of Qing Emperor Qianlong, the governor Yang Yingju wrote in the "Articles for Dredging Canals": "A county in Ningxia, the ancient Shuofang, its land is a barren area. The reason is that the Yellow River surrounds the southeast, which can be used for its benefit. In the past, according to the situation, canals were opened to drain water to irrigate acres of fields, and then turned into fertile soil, and the people were rich. This is why it is called the Great Northern Jiangnan. "Because the top is connected to the north, since the Republic of China, it has also been called "Shangjiang Jiangnan". Today, the irrigation and drainage facilities in the irrigation area are stable and high-yielding. It is not that Jiangnan is better than Jiangnan. Xixia was a feudal separatist regime established from the 11th to the 13th century with the Dangxiang clan as the main body. Because it was located in the northwest of the Song Dynasty, it was different from the "Xia" of the Sixteen Kingdoms, so it was called "Xixia" in history. The Dangxiang family first came after the Tuoba clan in the Northern Wei Dynasty. During the Zhenguan period of Tang Dynasty [627-649], there were Tuoba Chici who came and returned. Tang Taizong bestowed the surname Li, and placed them in Jingbian and other states to deal with them.Afterwards, it was analyzed that those who lived in Xiazhou were named Pingxiabu.At the end of the Tang Dynasty, Tuoba Sigong township Xiazhou, Tongyin, Xia, Sui, You, Jing five prefectures.Because of his meritorious service in suppressing the Huangchao peasant uprising army in the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xizong of Tang Dynasty awarded its leader Tuoba Sigong as "General Zuowuwei", and Quanzhi Xia, Sui and Yin stayed behind.Later, he was promoted to "Xia Guogong".Since then, a powerful local separatist force has gradually formed.During the Five Dynasties period [907-960], the leaders of the Dangxiang clan continued to grow their strength by taking advantage of the contradictions and struggles among the various feudal separatist forces.In the early years of the Song Dynasty, Li Jiqian, the leader of the Dangxiang clan, used the power of the Liao State to contend with the Song Dynasty.In the fourth year of Xianping (1000) of Emperor Zhenzong of Song Dynasty, he conquered Dingzhou [now Yaofu Town, Pingluo County, Ningxia], Huaiyuan [now Yinchuan City, Ningxia], Baojing [now Yongning County, Ningxia], Yongzhou [now Ningxia] on the west bank of the Yellow River in the Song Dynasty. Southeast of Yinchuan City, Ningxia].In the second year, they captured Lingzhou, an important town in the northwest of the Song Dynasty, killed Pei Ji, the magistrate, changed Lingzhou to "Xiping Mansion", and built palaces and ancestral temples, tentatively set here.In January of the first year of Jingde (1004) of Emperor Zhenzong of Song Dynasty, he moved to Lingzhou and died in Lingzhou, and his son Deming succeeded to the throne.In order to obtain the gift from the Song Dynasty and obtain economic benefits, in September of the third year of Zhenzong Jingde [1006], he expressed his "return" to the Song Dynasty and was named "Xiping King". 10,000 horses, 30,000 guan coins, and 20,000 catties of tea."Receiving financial support from the Song Dynasty, Deming's ambition to proclaim himself an emperor and build a country became stronger, and he concentrated his efforts to expand to the west.And in the fourth year of Emperor Zhenzong Tianxi [1020], Huaiyuan was changed to Xingzhou, and the palaces and gates were overhauled to prepare for the official proclaiming of the emperor.In October of the Tenth Year of Emperor Renzong of Song Dynasty [1032], Deming died of illness, and his son Yuan Hao succeeded to the throne, and then changed Xingzhou to Xingqing Prefecture.In the first year of Renzong Baoyuan [1038] in winter and October, Yuan Hao built an altar in Xingqing Mansion and accepted the book, calling himself "Emperor" [also called "My Ancestor", which means "Khan" in Chinese, that is, "Son of Heaven"] , the official founding of the country, the name is "Da Xia", and the year name is changed to "the first year of Yan Zuo's ritual law". During the Yuanhao period, the territory of Xixia was bounded by the Yellow River in the east, Yumen in the west, Xiaoguan in the south, and the desert in the north, with a place of more than 20,000 li.However, compared with Song and Liao, Xixia has a smaller territory and weaker national power, but it has been able to stand with Song, Liao [Jin] for 189 years, mainly relying on the farmland water conservancy in the Hetao area.During the Yuanhao period, not only the old canals of the Han and Tang Dynasties were renovated, and the fields were restored, but also new canals were opened.The famous Haowang Canal on the west bank of the Yellow River and at the foot of Helan Mountain, also known as "Liwang Canal", diverts water from the mouth of Qingtong Gorge and extends northward to the north of Pingluo County, with a total length of more than 300 miles.Judging from its remains, the water diversion at the mouth of the canal is above 70 cubic meters per second.There is also the remains of an ancient canal under Nanshan Taizi on the south bank of the Yellow River in Zhongwei. The masses also call it "Haowang Canal", or "Jinzi Canal". cubic meters per second.The amount of land irrigated by each of the above two Haowang canals and how long they lasted are not recorded in historical records, and it is difficult to determine today. There is no history of Xixia in the Twenty-Four Histories of China, but from the records about Xixia in the "Song History" and "Jin History" at the same time as Xixia, and the "Yuan History" after Xixia, we know that there were Tang Lai and Han Yan in Xingzhou in Xixia Erqu, known in history as the Tuoba family, relied on the Erqu according to Xia Shi, and invested in its prosperity.Including 10 main canals in other states, there are 12 main canals and 68 branch canals, with a total irrigated area of ​​over one million mu. "Song History Xia Guozhuan" states that "the land is rich in grains, especially rice and wheat. In Xing and Ling, there are ancient canals called Tanglai and Hanyuan, both of which lead to the Yellow River, so [there is] the benefit of irrigation, and there is no drought or flood in the year risk". "Golden History Xia Guozhuan" also called Xixia "Since the Han and Tang Dynasties, water conservancy has been used to accumulate valleys to feed frontier soldiers. Xingzhou has Han and Tang canals. Although the land is small, it can be prosperous and strong, and the terrain is natural." In Xixia, all the people are soldiers, and the people of the country "everyone under the age of sixty and over fifteen years old are equipped with bows, arrows and armor".Farming in peacetime and joining forces in wartime.The main army is divided into the main army and the garrison army. The main army specializes in combat operations, and the garrison army specializes in farming and miscellaneous labor to afford the supplies of the main army.Agriculture is the main sector of Xixia's social economy.Agriculture is dominated by cattle plowing [the farming method is called "two oxen lift the bar"], and its "plowing is slightly the same as that in Han Dynasty".According to Gu Le Maocai's "Pearls in the Palm of Shanhan Heshi", the varieties of grain grown in Xixia include wheat, barley, buckwheat, rice, millet, peas, black beans, and prickly beans.In addition to food, there is also the cultivation of fruits and vegetables.Thanks to water conservancy irrigation, Xing, Ling and other counties along the river have become important grain-producing areas.The "Yicang" in Mingsha County has more than one million [stones] of grain stored in the cellar.The "Tanliang City" built at the eastern foot of Helan Mountain is one of the largest granaries in Xixia.There is a "farmland department" in the central organization of Xixia, which is responsible for managing the irrigation and water conservancy matters. Xixia rulers attached great importance to the maintenance of water conservancy projects and the establishment of irrigation management systems.Especially during the reign of Renzong Tiansheng [1149-1169] in Xixia, there are 20 volumes in "Changing the Old and New Laws", of which the fifteenth volume mainly talks about water conservancy, the repair, use and management of the main canals such as Tanglai and Hanyan, as well as The irrigation system has made detailed and specific regulations, and clear and strict punishments have been made for violations of the regulations.For example, it is stipulated in the section "opening the canals in spring" that the number of working days is determined according to the number of acres of farmer's land for annual repairs. "Five days from 1 mu to 10 mu [that is, five working days], 15 days from 11 mu to 40 mu, 20 days from 41 mu to 75 mu, and more than 75 mu 30 days to 100 mu, 35 days to 100 mu to 20 mu per hectare, 40 days to 50 mu per hectare and more to 100 mu. When the time is too full, the husband will serve as a small prison, an official will punish the horse, and the common people will have thirteen sticks."It also stipulates the time for annual repair, "not to exceed forty days".The main canals built at Sui must reach the specified width and depth. "If they are not properly opened, and if they are not wide and deep, the official will punish the horse with one horse and the common people with thirteen sticks." For another example, in the section "Irrigation Gate", for the punishment of losses caused by the maintenance of main canals and negligence, it is stipulated that along the canals, the head of the canal, the canal owner, the canal water inspection, the husband's small supervisor, etc. Check, check the mouth of the drain, etc., be careful.If there are any places that are not firm and need to be repaired, such as backing plates and gates at the mouth of the drain, they should be repaired and strengthened immediately by the bureau in turn.If you are careless and do not inspect carefully, do not report to the bureau if there is a leak, and do not repair the water when the canal breaks, the loss of official and private owners' houses, field seedlings, grain, temples, roads, etc. and servants will be lost. , stupid workers [that is, general workers] and so on are priced together.Sin is judged according to the law. "When the head of the canal was not at the mouth of the canal day and night, he gave up his duties and did not monitor it properly. When the mouth of the canal was broken and the water was cut off, the loss ranged from one to fifty. It took three months. More than fifty to one 150 min, the deed is six months. From 150 min to 500 min, the deed is one year. From 500 min to 1000 min, the deed is two years. From 1000 min to 1500 min, the deed is three years. From more than 1,500 mins to 2,000 mins, it will take four years. From 2,000 mins to 2,500 mins, it will last for five years. From 2,500 mins to 3,000 mins, it will last for six years. From 3,000 mins to three thousand mins 1,500 mins, eight years. From 3,500 mins to 4,000 mins, ten years. From 4,000 mins to 5,000 mins, 12 years. If more than 5,000 mins, all will be strangled. , the patrol inspector, and the canal owner, etc., who are not good at directing the inspection, should be punished according to the fact that the canal owner is the accomplice of the canal head, the inspector is the accomplice of the canal owner, and the husband’s small supervisor is the accomplice of the inspection, etc. In order to protect the water conservancy personnel from exercising their powers and maintaining the order of irrigation to achieve general benefits, it is also stipulated that "if the festival relatives, the prime minister, or a wealthy person beat the head of the canal to make them afraid of power and not release water sequentially, when the canal breaks, the loss of livestock will be reduced." Measure the price of things, property, acres of land, and grass servants. If the head of the canal fails to supervise properly and causes the canal to break, the law of crime is the same according to the amount of money. Lost animals and property should be compensated for half ". "Also, when people give bribes to the head of the canal, and when it is not their turn to ask for water, and the canal is cut off, the main crime will be borne by the head of the canal. Those who ask for water before their turn will be judged as accomplices. The head of the canal may sleep, or travel far away, and be absent. Then, if all the people release the water and break it, within the time limit, the main crime shall be borne by the person who released the water, and the head of the canal shall be judged as an accomplice; Regarding the approval of new channels, it is stipulated that "everyone who wants to open a new land must open a channel in a suitable place for government and private use, then he should report to the Transshipment Department, and must distinguish whether it is an obstacle to official or private land. If there is an obstacle, the canal cannot be opened. Open it if it is obstructed. If it is not allowed, it will be ordered to open the canal in the place where it is obstructed, and not to open the canal in the unobstructed place, and all those who belong to it will be punished by officials with one horse and common people with thirteen sticks." For the winter grass rafters used for the annual repair and daily maintenance of the channel, it is stipulated that the owner of the tenant should deliver it into the warehouse on time according to law, so that it can be used when needed. Regarding the maintenance of the bridge road, it is clearly stipulated in the section "Bridge Road Gate": "There are bridges of all sizes along the canals, and no one is allowed to damage them. If the damage is violated, the valuation will be judged by the law of theft." Tang Lai, There are major roads and bridges on Hanyan and other large canals. When repairs are made, the Transshipment Department should be sent to measure the number of stupid workers needed, and repairs will be made according to the official [that is, the state will be responsible for repairs].If there is a time when it should be repaired but not built, an official will punish the horse with one stick, and the common people will have thirteen sticks.When the bridges on the small canals are damaged, they should be repaired privately [that is, the local tenants are responsible for repairing them]. If the bridges are not built and the repairs are not repaired, the officials will fine them five coins, ten sticks for ordinary people, and the bridges will be built. Repair it.In the section "Ground Water Miscellaneous Crimes", there are also strict regulations on the punishment of planting trees on both sides of the Guanqu and damaging trees and main canal projects.For example, "along the Tanglai, Hanyan and other official canals, where the government and private owners go, they should plant willows, cypresses, poplars, elms and other trees along the sections of the canals they belong to, so that they can become useful, and they will be guarded together with the original trees. In addition to pruning the branches according to the season and cutting them down and replanting them, no one is allowed to cut them down. If you violate the law and don’t plant trees, the official will punish you with a horse, and ordinary people will have thirteen sticks. The trees have been planted and are not protected, and those who accidentally make mistakes and cause livestock人食时，畜主人等庶人笞二十，有官罚五斤铁。其中官树木及私家主树木等为他人所伐时，计价以偷盗法判断”。还规定“渠水巡检，渠主沿所属渠干紧紧指挥租户家主，沿官渠不令植树时，渠主十三杖，渠水巡检十杖，并令植树。见诸人伐树而不告时，同样判断”。再如“沿唐徕、汉延及诸大渠等，不许诸人沿其闸口、垛口、诸垫板等取土、取柴而抽损之。若违律取土抽损，致彼水断破时，抽损者之罪与渠头放弃职守致渠断破罪状同样判断。未断破，则计土、柴以偷盗罪及徙三个月，从其重者判断。他人举时，当依举盗赏法得赏”。 该律令中规定的渠道岁修用工用料，由受水户民承担，岁修时间勿过40日，平时重视水利工程维护，严格灌溉用水以及新开渠道的审批等，其精神原则至今仍在民间绵延不绝。 郭守敬：元代治水的典范 郭守敬，字若思，祖籍顺德邢台【今河北邢台市】，是元代著名的水利专家和天文学家。 郭守敬出生于书香门第，自幼勤奋好学，少年时从学于著名学者刘秉忠和张文谦。元世祖忽必烈中统三年【1262年】，担任中书左丞的张文谦，见守敬对水利工程的学习和研究“巧思绝人”，遂向忽必烈推荐。世祖召见于上都，守敬面陈华北水利六事。世祖叹曰：“任事者如此，人不为素餐矣。”世祖当即授予他提举诸路河渠的职务。次年，又加授银符副河渠使。至元元年【1264年】，远赴西夏故地，修复旧渠。 西夏腹地即今河套平原，经过不断的经营，已成为“沃野千里，谷稼殷积……因渠以溉，水舂河漕，用功省少而军粮饶足”的富庶地区。 13世纪初，蒙古族崛起于漠北，其首领成吉思汗于1205—1227年先后六次领兵攻打西夏，迫使西夏主李睨投降，夏亡。其中第三次攻打西夏国都中兴府【今宁夏银川城】时还以水代兵，“引河水【实为渠水】灌之，堤决水外溃，遂撤围还”。由于连年战争，水利设施破坏，田园荒芜，百姓四处逃难。蒙古大军灭亡西夏以后，又于忽必烈中统元年【1260年】农历六月至九月，中兴府等处再次遭“浑都海之乱，民间相恐动，窜匿山谷”。蒙古贵族的这次内部斗争，发生地就在河套地区，给引黄灌区广大城乡造成极大的破坏，使久享盛名的“塞北江南”变得疮痍满目。 忽必烈即帝位后，为了巩固北方，继而进攻南宋，需要足够的粮食供应，他的目光自然注意到有河渠之利的前西夏国中兴府等地，即今河套平原。至元元年五月，忽必烈即派遣唆脱颜和郭守敬行视西夏河渠，俾俱图来上。郭守敬来西夏后，沿黄河两岸踏勘地势水情，绘成地图，并提出“因旧谋新”，即在疏浚古渠故道的基础上，增开新渠，更立渠首闸坝的整修方案。方案得到忽必烈审批后即令郭守敬驰赴中兴府修渠。同年，忽必烈派张文谦以中书左丞行省西夏中兴等路，又派董文用“为西夏中兴等路行省郎中”，使与河渠副使郭守敬同力襄助张文谦治理西夏，修复水利，发展农业。“西夏濒河五州，皆有古渠，其在中兴者，一名唐徕，长四百里；一名汉延，长二百五十里。其余四州又有正渠十，长各二百里，支渠大小共六十八，计灌田九万余顷，兵乱以来，废坏淤浅，守敬为之因旧谋新更立闸堰，役不逾时而渠皆通流，夏人共为立生祠于渠上。”闸堰，是古代控制水流的工程，其作用类似现在的闸坝。设置木质闸堰以有效控制进渠水量，说明元代在技术上又有新发展。 西夏中兴等沿河诸州水利设施整修后，至元三年【1226年】五月，元世祖诏令西夏中兴府“凡良田为僧所据者，听蒙古人分垦”。七月，又诏令“西夏避乱之民还本籍”。对民之归者，都给田种，并发农具。七年闰十一月，诏谕西夏提刑按察司管民官，禁止僧徒冒据民田。八年三月，恢复西夏中兴等路行尚书省，同年授袁裕为西夏中兴等路新民安抚副使，兼本道巡行劝农副使，奉直大夫，佩金符，在中兴府等处大搞屯田。复省当年，由随州和鄂州移民1170户，往中兴居住。十一年编为屯田户，共2400丁。至元十一年招收放良人民904户，编聚屯田，为田44650亩。十九年三月，调迤南新附军1380户，往宁夏等处屯田。二十一年，从蒙古塔塔里千户所迁移958户往中兴屯田，为田149833亩。二十三年，浚治中兴路河渠，十月迁移甘州新附军千人到中兴屯田。二十五年改中兴路为宁夏府路【宁夏之名由此始】，并置宁夏府路总管府【属甘肃行省】，二十六年四月复立营田司于宁夏府，二十七年，蒙古只深所部八曾刺思等饥馑，命宁夏路给米三千石赈济，二十九年，宁夏府屯田成功，升其官朵儿赤，以后始有“天下黄河富宁夏”之说。 郭守敬设计修建的汉延、唐徕等渠首闸坝，由于“工作甚精”一直使用到明朝中叶。明隆庆六年【1572年】佥事汪文辉才将河西汉延、唐徕二渠进水闸易木闸为石闸，随后河东秦、汉等渠闸坝也陆续易木为石。古人有观汉唐两坝诗曰：“闸分天上水，工自古人奇。农亩占春润，渔舟待月迟。汉唐能保障，天地亦何私？惭愧观风客，年年注乙时。” 郭守敬河套治水，贡献极大，名列史志，功垂后世，在河套水利史上享有盛名。后人为他修建生祠，尊称他为“龙神”。 明朝建立初期，为了恢复战后的农业生产，巩固新王朝的统治，对农田水利很重视。太祖朱元璋即位之初就下诏“所在有司，民以水利条上者，即陈奏”。后又指示下部，“陂塘湖堰可蓄泄以备旱涝者，皆因其地势修治之”，并遣使分赴各地“督修水利”。 河套平原是明朝北方九边重镇之一，驻有重兵防守，并实行规模庞大的军事屯垦。镇守河套总兵官下设屯田都司，负责浚渠均徭都屯政。明宣德五年设立河渠提举司，官有提举一员、副提举四员；吏目一员，司吏四名，典吏八名，专掌水利，兼收屯粮。《明史·宁正传》记载，洪武三年河州卫指挥使兼领宁夏卫事的宁正率军民“修筑汉唐旧渠，引河水溉田，开屯数万顷，兵食饶足”。洪武六年诏令“屯田宁夏”，派邓愈、汤和等重要将领在陕西【当时宁夏属陕西管辖】等地招集流亡屯田。地方实行军卫制管理，凡驻军十分之七屯种，十分之三守城。冬操夏种，屯卫兼顾。“十月赴操，以司战车；二月归农，从事屯垦。”到明永乐三年军屯“积谷尤多”，成祖“赐敕褒美总兵何福”。明代在河套平原上还开了一些新渠，多数在今卫宁灌区，规模较小，而在今青铜峡灌区的靖虏渠和金积渠规模宏大，都是宁夏巡抚都御史王殉主持所开。王殉还写有一组有关水利的诗，其中一首名为《开渠》：“滚滚河流势显哉，平分一派傍山来。经营本为防胡计，屯守兼因裕国裁。此日劳民非我愿，千年乐土为谁开。老臣喜得金汤固，幕府空闲卫霍才。” 正统四年【1439年】，宁夏巡抚都御史金濂见鸣沙州七星、汉伯、石灰三渠久塞，用夫疏浚，溉芜田13万亩。《明史·河渠志直省水》记载，到明嘉靖年间，河套平原上已有大小正渠18渠。大小正渠总长1479里，共溉田157.34万亩，这是河套平原引黄灌溉史上第一次记载比较全面而确切的数字。汉、唐二渠所灌地亩约占总灌溉面积的80％，此河套恃以为重者，实二渠为然。庆靖王朱枋曾作《汉渠春涨》诗一首，赞曰：“神河浩浩来天际，别络分流号汉渠。万顷腴田凭灌溉，千家禾黍足耕锄。三月雪水桃花泛，二月和风柳眼舒。追忆前人疏凿后，于今利泽福吾居。” 明代在河套兴修水利，经营屯田，成绩显著。据史书记载，到英宗时期，各卫所仓储充裕，形成了“一方之赋，尽出于屯，屯田之恒，借以水利”的富饶景象。明隆庆年间，佥事汪文辉修屯政，蠲浮粮，将汉延、唐徕二渠进水闸易木为石，岁省薪木力役无数。明万历十八年冬，监察御史周弘跃，阅视河套边务时说，“河东有秦、汉二坝，请依河西汉、唐坝筑以石诏可”。在工程维修和灌溉管理方面，明代也有较为明确的规章，如每岁春三月发军丁、军余【指屯田士兵和在役军士的子弟】修治闸坝，挑浚渠道。四月初开工北流，其分灌之法，自下而上，官为封禁。修治少不如法，则田涸而民困矣，公私无所倚。 明末清初的数十年间，战乱给农业生产带来了一定程度的破坏，田园是一派榛荒苍凉的景象，“一望极目，田园荒凉；四顾郊原，社灶烟冷”。清兵入关后，情况发生了变化，八旗贵族失去了原来的土地，顺治皇帝不但下令皇亲国戚大量圈地，而且驻防各地的旗人也大肆圈占土地，河套地区人民深受其害，原耕种地农民失去了土地，而被圈占的土地一时难以有效耕种，致使“广连阡陌，多至抛荒”。 清康熙以后，社会经济得以迅速发展。汉代以来不断开发的河套平原灌区的旧渠道得以大规模地整修，同时还开发了新渠。康熙、雍正年间，先后新建灌溉农田11万亩的大清渠和灌田20余万亩的惠农渠，与唐徕、汉延合称为四大渠。此外，还有昌润等渠，灌田也各有数万亩至十余万亩不等。 康熙年间修建的大清渠，长72里，灌田657顷。惠农渠修建于雍正年间，渠长200里，灌田2717顷。“康乾盛世”是中国封建社会的最后一个繁盛期，河套平原的灌区农业也显现出稀有的局面，在历代积淀的基础上，呈现出“川辉原润千村聚，野绿禾青一望同”的繁荣富庶的景象。 河套黄灌区的开发随着历史的延伸一直呈上升趋势，面积不断扩大。元朝初年约100万亩；中华人民共和国成立后，截至1982年，扩大为1200万亩。 黄震东先生1942年写成《宁夏省农田水利改进问题之我见》，就宁夏平原的水利灌溉作过详尽的论述。他不是按朝代，而是依自然地理环境划分故渠道及其灌溉状况的： 一是宁卫区，即中卫、中宁二县，为青铜峡以南黄河冲积平原，直接引黄河水灌溉。这里有大小水渠23道之多，灌溉两县良田48.7万余亩，较大的干渠有七星、美利、新生及羚羊等渠。 二是河东区，包括当时的金积、灵武两县，为青铜峡以北黄河东岸之冲积平原，共有干渠3道：秦渠、汉渠和天水渠。秦、汉两渠在青铜峡开口，共灌溉地约32万亩；天水渠则利用汉渠退水及秦汉各支渠的余水，共灌溉黄河新淤滩地2.6万亩。 三是河西区，包括当时宁朔、永宁、贺兰、平罗及惠农五县地，为青铜峡以北黄河西岸之冲积平原。原有大干渠4道：唐徕渠、大清渠、汉延渠、惠农渠，另有小干渠7道，共灌溉良田154万余亩。 按照自然地理划分灌区，便于横向比较。同时，从这些数据也可以看出河套黄灌溉区发展到20世纪的基本状况。从三大块区域内渠道的分布，也可以看出自秦代以来的大致走向。作为水利专家，黄先生还提出了整个黄灌区的改进意见：诸如灌溉制度的改进、渠道的整理、改良斗门节制用水、调整水政机构等，有些思路即使在今天仍有其现实意义。 新中国成立以来，人民政府非常重视兴修水利，除水害，造福于民，河套引黄灌溉事业有了空前的大发展。新中国成立之初几年，主要采取“裁弯取顺”的办法，对秦、汉、唐徕、汉延、惠农、七星等主要干渠进行扩整，并应用新的材料，改建新建闸、桥、槽、涵等主要建筑物，使各干渠的引水、输水能力普遍增大了一倍以上，安全程度也有明显提高。为增开支干渠、扩大灌溉面积与合并一些分散引水的渠口、合理渠道布局创造了条件。如河东秦渠扩整后，于1951年在郭家桥建闸分水，新开了农场渠，当年建成，渠长31.6公里，引水能力18立方米／秒，主要给新建的国营灵武农场供给灌溉用水，故名“农场渠”。设计灌地【包括原天水渠灌区】17万亩，现已灌溉20万亩。河西唐徕渠扩整后，于1953年在满达桥建闸分水，新开了第二农场渠，渠长83公里，引水能力36立方米／秒，计划垦殖贺兰山东麓的大片荒原西大滩，现已垦种28万亩。由上而下建有西湖、南梁、前进、暖泉、潮湖、简泉等国营农场和农牧场，从前荒无人烟、一望无际的盐碱沙滩，如今已是道路畅通，沟渠纵横，林网密布，条田成档，盛夏麦浪翻滚，金秋稻谷飘香的新灌区。惠农渠扩整后，于1955年将与之平行的昌润渠、滂渠并入，在阮桥建闸，分水给昌、滂二渠。随后又将永惠、永润、西官、东官四条河沟小渠并入滂渠。20世纪60年代，卫宁灌区的中卫县将美利渠扩建成总干渠后，陆续将由黄河开口引水的太平、新北、旧北、复盛等渠并入，使中卫县河北灌区形成一首引水制。中宁县将七星渠裁弯扩建后，亦于20世纪六七十年代，陆续将由黄河开口引水的柳青、新南、新北、康滩、通济等渠并入，使中宁县河南灌区形成一首引水制，由于旧渠道的整治与合并，渠道布局趋于合理，又使岁修养护工料大减。 1958年修建的跃进渠，全长85公里，引水能力30立方米／秒，设计灌地20万亩，现已灌地15万亩。跃进渠是中宁县河北灌区的总干渠，先后将灌区内旧有的新生、中济、长永、丰乐四条独立干渠并入，作为支干渠。 旧渠经过裁弯取直，使渠身缩短，水流畅利，渠不再淤，从而免除了一年一次的干渠清淤，岁省劳力约40万工日，柴草200多万公斤。现有干渠15条，全长1158公里，引水能力776立方米／秒，实灌面积685万亩，较新中国成立时增加了两倍多。 在扩整旧渠、创建新渠的同时，疏浚旧沟，开挖新沟，排除湖泊积水，降低地下水位，为扩大耕地和提高产量创造了条件。具体措施为，首先整修了河东的山水沟，将其下段改道由张口