Watercourses have the multi-function of flood-prevention, water storage, water drainage and environmental protection. Therefore, it is prohibited to dam the watercourses. If the damming of a watercourse is necessary because of construction, then the construction company shall entrust water irrigation planning and designing institutions to carry out a study and submit their application for damming a watercourse according to the following procedures:

(1) The application for damming a watercourse under municipal administration and other watercourses within downtown areas shall be approved by the Shanghai Municipal Water Affairs Bureau before being submitted to the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government for final approval, and

(2) the application for damming watercourses outside downtown areas shall be submitted to the district/county level watercourse administration departments before being submitted to the Shanghai Water Affairs Bureau for final approval.

Costs that occur because of a change of water systems for the damming of watercourses shall be borne by the construction company. Before the actual construction begins, construction companies shall submit their construction plans to the Shanghai Municipal Watercourse Administration Department or district/county level watercourse administration departments for approval, and carry out their construction within the set boundary.