BEIJING — China has diverted 608 million cubic meters of water since mid-July from the Yangtze River to the Taihu Lake, the country's third largest freshwater lake, the Ministry of Water Resources said on Sept 2.

Influenced by continuous high temperatures and low precipitation since the flood season, the lake's water level continued to decline, severely threatening water security and ecosystems in the Taihu Lake basin.

To curb the shrinking water resources, the ministry kicked off diverting Yangtze River water into the lake on July 16.

As of Aug 31, the water levels of the Taihu Lake averaged 3.12 meters, an increase of 0.07 to 0.12 meters from before the water transfer.

The transferred water has helped meet water demand for daily life, production, water transport, and ecological protection around the lake, the ministry said.

According to the latest forecast, the precipitation in the Taihu Lake basin in September is expected to approach the level of normal years.