Korla, Kurla, or Kuerle (different spellings – same city) is a mid-sized city in central Xinjiang and is the capital of the Bayin’gholin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture.
The hills around Korla that once protected this city and the Silk Road from raiding nomads had become bald and barren over the years, subjecting the inhabitants of Korla to multiple dust storms and raining sand. Thus an ambitious project was undertaken to shield the city by greening the Dongshan Barren Hills in order to protect the inhabitants from the constant barrage of wind and sand.
Due to the difficulty of the project, EAC was chosen to design and implement a 50,000 mu drip irrigation system. The water source – the local Peacock River – proved to be an enormous filtration challenge. Impurities, suspended solids as well as a high number of seasonal sediments put an enormous strain on filtration requirements. In addition, the terrain was complex and the soil highly saline-alkaline.
EAC used a highly advance system incorporating an automatic sand media filter group, a high-quality pressure-compensated drip irrigation pipe, a field hydrodynamic pressure regulating valve and safety valves.
Five years after successfully completing the project 90% of the planted trees are still alive and Korla Dongshan, the former bald and barren hills, have become a green park enjoyed by city residents and a natural barrier for Korla’s inhabitants against the deserts’ wind and sand.