Water levels have dropped to record lows, leaving Tri An Lake barren like something out of a movie.

Tri An Lake is an artificial lake covering approximately 323 square kilometers located on the Dong Nai River (spanning the districts of Vinh Cuu, Dinh Quan, Thong Nhat, and Trang Bom in Dong Nai province). The project helps to push back saltwater intrusion, regulate floods in the downstream area, and provide water for production and daily life for 18 million people in Dong Nai, Binh Duong , and Ho Chi Minh City.

This is a reservoir that supplies water to the Tri An hydroelectric power plant. On the Tri An lake area, there are over 70 islands of varying sizes, dotted with residential houses.

According to VietNamNet's observations on May 12th, in the reservoir area, many places on the ground were cracked, and hundreds of trees were left bare. In some places, the reservoir water had dried up, forming stagnant pools where some organisms could not survive.

After the water in Tri An Lake receded, it revealed lush green meadows or barren, rocky areas filled with pebbles.

During the rainy season, Tri An Lake is vast and provides a livelihood for many households. However, during the dry season, prolonged heat and drought cause the water level to recede, revealing large areas of land. This is especially true in May and June each year, when the water level drops to its lowest point, leaving hundreds of trees bare, their roots exposed.

Mr. Nguyen Tien (a resident living near Tri An Lake) said that the lake dries up every year, but never as much as this year. People can even ride their motorbikes to the middle of the lake.

Mr. Van (a fisherman on Tri An Lake) said that normally he catches about 10kg of barramundi per day, but in recent months he has only caught about 2-4kg each day. "I've been out since early morning and only caught a little over 2kg of barramundi, each kg selling for 60,000 VND," Mr. Van shared.

Mr. Vo Tan Nhan, Director of Tri An Hydropower Company, said that the current water level in Tri An reservoir is 51m, 1m above the dead water level, while the normal water level of the reservoir is 62m. This year is the lowest water level in nearly 13 years.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/muc-nuoc-xuong-ky-luc-ho-tri-an-kho-can-nhu-trong-phim-2142766.html