Editing Hai River (section)

==History==
[[Image:Tianjin Hai River 2.JPG|thumb|left|The Bund of the Hai River.]]
On 20 May 1858, the Pei-ho, as it was then known, was the scene of an [[Battle of Taku Forts (1858)|invasion by Anglo-French forces]] during the [[Second Opium War]] whereby the [[Taku Forts]] were captured.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VqI1AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA2869|journal=Bulletins and Other State Intelligence for the Year 1858|title=List of Casualties|volume=Part 3|place=London|publisher=Harrison and Sons|date=1860|pages=2869–2874}}</ref>  
 
In 1863 seagoing ships could reach the head of navigation at [[Tongzhou District, Beijing|Tongzhou]], but the crooked river was difficult for large vessels.<ref>Alexander Michie,The Siberian Overland Route from Peking to Petersburg, 1864</ref>
During the [[Boxer Rebellion]], Imperial Chinese forces deployed a weapon called "electric [[Naval mine|mine]]s" on June 15, at the Baihe river before the [[Battle of Taku Forts (1900)]], to prevent the western [[Eight-Nation Alliance]] from sending ships to attack. This was reported by American military intelligence in the United States. War Dept. by the United States. Adjutant-General's Office. Military Information Division.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T6VAAAAAYAAJ&q=June+15%2C+it+was+learned+that+the+mouth+of+the+river+was+protected+by+electric+mines%2C+that+the+forts+at+Taku+were&pg=PA533|title=Publication, Issue 33|author=United States. Adjutant-General's Office. Military Information Division|year=1901|publisher=[[United States Government Printing Office|G.P.O.]]|location=WASHINGTON|page=533|access-date=February 19, 2011}}(Document (United States. War Dept.))(Original from Harvard University)</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/reportsonmilita00divigoog|quote=June 15, it was learned that the mouth of the river was protected by electric mines, that the forts at Taku were.|title=Reports on military operations in South Africa and China. July, 1901|author=United States. Adjutant-General's Office. Military Information Division, Stephen L'H. Slocum, Carl Reichmann, Adna Romanga Chaffee|year=1901|publisher=[[Govt. print. off.]]|location=WASHINGTON|page=[https://archive.org/details/reportsonmilita00divigoog/page/n579 533]|access-date=February 19, 2011}}(Issue 33 of Publication (United States. Adjutant-General's Office. Military Information Division)
Issue 143 of Document, United States War Dept
Issue 33 of Publication, United States Adjutant-General's Office)</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UHbxAAAAMAAJ&q=electric+mines|title=Reilly's Battery: a story of the Boxer Rebellion|author=Monro MacCloskey|year=1969|publisher=R. Rosen Press|page=95|isbn=9780823901456 |access-date=February 19, 2011}}(Original from the University of Wisconsin - Madison)</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/reportsonmilita01divigoog|quote=June 15, it was learned that the mouth of the river was protected by electric mines, that the forts at Taku were.|title=Reports on military operations in South Africa and China|author=Stephan L'H. Slocum, Carl Reichmann, Adna Romanza Chaffee, United States. Adjutant-General's Office. Military Information Division|year=1901|publisher=[[United States Government Printing Office|G.P.O.]]|location=WASHINGTON|page=[https://archive.org/details/reportsonmilita01divigoog/page/n585 533]|access-date=February 19, 2011}}(Issue 143 of Document (United States. War Dept.))(Original from the New York Public Library)</ref>

Like the Yellow River, the Hai is exceedingly muddy because of the powdery soil through which it flows. The silt carried by the water deposits in the lower reaches, sometimes causing flooding. The waters from the five major tributaries only have one shallow outlet to the sea, which makes such floods stronger. Because China's capital (and second largest city), Beijing, and the third largest city, Tianjin, both lie in the Hai He Basin, Hai He floods cause a significant loss. To alleviate flooding, reservoirs have been built and artificial channels dug to divert excess water directly into the sea. For example, the [[Chaobai River]] is diverted to the [[Chaobai Xin River]] and no longer joins with the Northern Canal.

Due to industrial and urban development in the Hai He Basin, the volume of water flow has greatly decreased. Many smaller tributaries and some of the major tributaries are dry for most of the year. With reduced water flow, water pollution worsens. The water shortage in the Hai He basin is expected to be alleviated by the [[South-North Water Transfer Project]].