Abstract: Accounting for 96% of the total reservoirs in China, small reservoirs played an important and irreplaceable role in local flood control, agricultural irrigation, water supply and aquaculture. Due to inadequate financial investment and lack of management, functions of small reservoirs in rural area deteriorated dramatically with severe sedimentation and leakage, insufficient water storage capacity, widespread nutrient pollution and eutrophication, and excessive reservoir fish farming. In view of this, countermeasures and suggestions are put forward: 1) reinforcing basic data investigation in hydrology, water resource and water quality; 2) identifying and determining the key function of small reservoir and the targets of restoration based on water supply and utilization; 3) controlling silt sedimentation and recovering the utilizable capacity; 4) reducing pollutant input and increasing water environmental capacity; 5) developing ecological fish farming and preventing ecosystem overload; 6) encouraging investment and scientific management. This research is expected to provide scientific basis for guiding the water resource storage and sustainable utilization in rural areas.

Key words: small rural reservoir, functional deterioration, countermeasures, sediment, pollution, aquaculture