明代重启大运河以后,里运河堤防的修建与周围水环境互动增加,对里运河自身水流贯通起到了重要作用,其中包括黄河对运河北段清江浦的影响,以及淮水东泄对中部运河区堤防兴修、湖泊扩张和水位提高的影响。自明代中叶以后,中部堤防的修建不但促进了高宝诸湖的联合,还促进了运河水流的整体贯通。到明末,随着淮水不断积于高家堰而抬高水位,高宝诸湖的汇水量增加,更加促进了里运河的水流贯通。各种闸坝的兴起和北部水位的升高,使得整个里运河水流进一步通畅。在这种环境下,长期需要外水济运的瓜、仪入江口区段也不再需要外水济运。

Following the revival of the Grand Canal during the Ming Dynasty, the construction of the Li Canal (里运河) embankment intensified its interaction with the surrounding water environment, playing a significant role in the continuity of the Li Canal’s water flow. This included the impact of the Yellow River on the northern section of the canal at Qingjiangpu (清江浦), as well as the influence of the Huai River’s eastward discharge on the construction of embankments, lake expansion, and water level rise in the central canal region. From the mid-Ming period onwards, the construction of central embankments not only facilitated the integration of the Gaobao lakes (高宝诸湖) but also promoted the overall connectivity of the canal’s water flow. By the end of the Ming Dynasty, the continuous accumulation of Huai River water at the Gaojia Weir (高家堰) raised the water level, increasing the inflow into the Gaobao lakes and further enhancing the flow through the Li Canal. With the proliferation of various sluice gates and dams and the rise in water levels in the north, the water flow throughout the Li Canal became even more unobstructed. In this context, the river mouth sections of Guazhou and Yizheng, which had long required external water diversion for navigation, no longer needed such assistance.