Abstract: Floodgates had been built to irrigate farmlands along the Fuyang River in the Qing Dynasty. Intense struggles over access and use of water among several counties in the region were common. Central and local governments played an important role to readjust administrative region, to promote unified management of water resources, and to set up a distribution system for irrigation.Together these measures enabled equitable utilization of water resources. The historical experience of the Fuyang River basin inspires hope for sustainable development of the economy and society of present day North China.