Administrators along the Yangtze River issued an emergency warning on Wednesday, reminding cargo ships to watch for low water to avoid being stranded.

Since November, the average water level in the middle reaches of China’s longest river has dipped 1.5 meters below normal, mainly due to less rainfall in the dry season, according to the Yangtze River Administration under the Ministry of Transportation.

Over the past month more than 10 ships have been stranded in the area that includes Yichang, Wuhan, Jingzhou, and Jiujiang.

Every cargo ship must undergo weight checks at eight harbors in Yichang City, the start of the middle reaches of the river, and unload excessive goods before continuing the voyage, according to a circular issued by the Yichang Maritime Bureau with the warning.

An average of 170 cargo ships will navigate along the route every day. The administration has sent off a number of dredgers to dig out silt in the river and ships are called on to pay attention to safety while passing through the section.

The Yangtze, which stretches 6,300 km, suffers a dry season between November and April that is typically followed by a spring flood.

Usually, the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydropower project, built between the upper and middle reaches of the river, will unleash water reserves to alleviate the drought or hold up floods before they inundate downstream regions.

(Xinhua News Agency December 6, 2007)