Drought hits China's Yangtze River

China warned Wednesday that the Yangtze's severe drought could linger until September as local governments battle to retain power.

Residents near a Yangtze river tributary in Chongqing, China, crawled along the dry riverbank Thursday amid a month-long drought.

Tian Feng, 27, said he was worried because his compound's water had been cut off.

"I wanted to walk over the river," she remarked. "I can't cross since the water isn't dry."

Dead fish were evident on the Jialing's exposed flats, a long, twisting tributary that joins the Yangtze at Chongqing.

Residents could reach the Qiansimen Bridge's riverside pier.

China warned Wednesday that the extreme dry period along the Yangtze might stretch into September as local governments struggle to preserve power and irrigate crops before the autumn harvest.

Rainfall is projected to stay low until the end of the month and beyond, said Liu Zhiyu, an official with the Ministry of Water Resources.

"In September, water inflows in the middle and lower regions of the Yangtze will likely remain low, and the drought in Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, and Jiangxi could worsen," Liu added, referring to four provinces on the middle reaches of the river.