Dongping Lake
{{for|an artificial reservoir in Hubei|Dongping Dam}}
{{Infobox lake
| name = Dongping Lake
| image =银山镇田园风光 15.jpg
| caption =
| image_bathymetry =
| caption_bathymetry =
| location =
| coords = {{Coord|35|57|53|N|116|11|45|E|type:waterbody_scale:5000000|display=inline,title}}
| lake_type = Fresh water lake
| inflow = Dawen River
| outflow = Yellow River
| catchment = {{convert|9064|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
| basin_countries = China
| length = {{Convert|23.5|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}
|pushpin_map=China Shandong
| width = {{Convert|9.7|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}
| area = {{convert|148|km2|sqmi|-2|abbr=on}}
| depth = {{convert|1.59|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| max-depth = {{convert|2.4|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| volume = {{convert|235|e6m3|abbr=on}}
| residence_time =
| shore =
| elevation = {{convert|41|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| frozen =
| islands =
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| cities =
}}
The Dongping Lake ({{zh|s={{linktext|东|平|湖}}|p=Dōngpíng Hú}}) is a freshwater lake in Shandong Province of China. It is situated in Dongping County in the west of Shandong Province, south of the lower reaches of Yellow River. The lake has a total area of about 148 square kilometers. The average depth is 1.59 m, the water storage capacity is about 2.35×108m3.{{cite book |title=Lakes in China |last1=Sumin |first1=Wang|last2=Hongshen |first2=Dou |year=1998 |publisher=Science Press|location=Beijing|isbn=7-03-006706-1 |page=304}}
The Dongping Lake is the second largest fresh-water lake in Shandong Province; it is the only extant water area of the Eight Hundred Li Liangshan Lake ({{zh|s=八百里梁山水泊}}) described in the famous medieval novel, Water Margin, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.[http://www.chinakindnesstour.com/cityguide/taian/attractions/cityguide_1071.shtml www.chinakindnesstour.com]{{Better source|reason=Source is a commercial travel agency, not history or literature expert.|date=October 2022}}
The Dongping Lake will be used as a reservoir on the Eastern Route of China's South–North Water Transfer Project. (The Yangtze River to Yellow River route, mostly piggybacking on, or paralleling, the Grand Canal of China.The map at the "[http://www.nsbd.gov.cn/zx/english/erp.htm Eastern Route Project (ERP)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150628203217/http://www.nsbd.gov.cn/zx/english/erp.htm |date=2015-06-28 }}" page, on the official project site.[http://www.cws.net.cn/journal/cwr/200304B/16.htm 南水北调东线工程对东平湖蓄水的影响及对策] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106040934/http://www.cws.net.cn/journal/cwr/200304B/16.htm |date=November 6, 2013 }})
As the water transfer system entered its testing stage in the summer of 2013, the area's fish farmers started complaining that the polluted Yangtze River water entering the Dongping Lake is killing their fish.[http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/project-07082013131802.html Chinese Water Diversion Project Kills Fish on Test Run], 2013-07-08