地理
斧頭(tou)湖(hu)(hu)(hu)原(yuan)與西(xi)(xi)梁(liang)湖(hu)(hu)(hu)同屬一(yi)湖(hu)(hu)(hu)。古時(shi)，斧頭(tou)湖(hu)(hu)(hu)與長江相連，宋初(chu)江洲淤積，長江北徙，形(xing)成湖(hu)(hu)(hu)泊，后來長江古道形(xing)成金水河，西(xi)(xi)梁(liang)湖(hu)(hu)(hu)一(yi)分二，赤壁仍稱西(xi)(xi)梁(liang)湖(hu)(hu)(hu)，嘉(jia)魚遂稱斧頭(tou)湖(hu)(hu)(hu)。
傳說
說起斧(fu)(fu)(fu)頭(tou)(tou)(tou)(tou)湖，民(min)間相傳：明末(mo)農民(min)起義軍領(ling)袖楊(yang)幺，有一(yi)(yi)把宣花大(da)金斧(fu)(fu)(fu)，九九八十(shi)一(yi)(yi)斤，楊(yang)幺用此斧(fu)(fu)(fu)砍殺官(guan)兵(bing)(bing)，打了(le)(le)許多勝(sheng)仗。當(dang)年楊(yang)幺水軍被破，被官(guan)兵(bing)(bing)圍在這(zhe)個(ge)大(da)湖里，官(guan)兵(bing)(bing)中敢捉楊(yang)幺的不多，想得(de)此斧(fu)(fu)(fu)的卻不少。那天眾官(guan)兵(bing)(bing)圍住了(le)(le)楊(yang)幺，大(da)喊(han)交出(chu)斧(fu)(fu)(fu)頭(tou)(tou)(tou)(tou)就留一(yi)(yi)條(tiao)活命。楊(yang)幺一(yi)(yi)想，命都不要了(le)(le)，還留此斧(fu)(fu)(fu)何用。于是(shi)他站在船頭(tou)(tou)(tou)(tou)仰天大(da)笑，起手就把斧(fu)(fu)(fu)頭(tou)(tou)(tou)(tou)丟(diu)下了(le)(le)湖。即(ji)時，湖面(mian)象煮開(kai)了(le)(le)的水，鼓著泡泡，冒著熱氣，落水的地(di)方長(chang)出(chu)了(le)(le)一(yi)(yi)座(zuo)山(shan)(shan)，壁(bi)陡壁(bi)陡，遠遠望去就像一(yi)(yi)把插(cha)在湖里的斧(fu)(fu)(fu)頭(tou)(tou)(tou)(tou)，后人(ren)把這(zhe)座(zuo)山(shan)(shan)取名(ming)斧(fu)(fu)(fu)頭(tou)(tou)(tou)(tou)山(shan)(shan)，山(shan)(shan)下的湖北面(mian)亦形狀(zhuang)似斧(fu)(fu)(fu)，遂稱之為(wei)斧(fu)(fu)(fu)頭(tou)(tou)(tou)(tou)湖。
還有另一(yi)(yi)(yi)湖(hu)(hu)(hu)名(ming)的(de)(de)(de)由來講述：一(yi)(yi)(yi)次吳(wu)剛(gang)(gang)喝醉了(le)(le)(le)酒，猛然想起(qi)玉(yu)帝(di)令他(ta)砍(kan)梭羅(luo)樹，為南海觀世音做蓮花(hua)(hua)寶座一(yi)(yi)(yi)事，連(lian)忙(mang)抓(zhua)起(qi)斧(fu)頭(tou)便往樹上(shang)爬。由于頭(tou)暈眼花(hua)(hua)，錯把(ba)桂花(hua)(hua)樹當成(cheng)(cheng)了(le)(le)(le)梭羅(luo)樹。嫦娥一(yi)(yi)(yi)見急了(le)(le)(le)，砍(kan)了(le)(le)(le)玉(yu)帝(di)封的(de)(de)(de)神樹還了(le)(le)(le)得！她一(yi)(yi)(yi)急，便將(jiang)(jiang)懷中的(de)(de)(de)玉(yu)兔(tu)向吳(wu)剛(gang)(gang)身上(shang)拋去，意在阻止他(ta)砍(kan)桂花(hua)(hua)樹。吳(wu)剛(gang)(gang)突然嚇了(le)(le)(le)一(yi)(yi)(yi)跳，便忙(mang)用(yong)斧(fu)頭(tou)一(yi)(yi)(yi)擋，斧(fu)頭(tou)碰到(dao)(dao)兔(tu)子(zi)(zi)嘴上(shang)，將(jiang)(jiang)兔(tu)子(zi)(zi)的(de)(de)(de)嘴劈成(cheng)(cheng)兩瓣(ban)，從此兔(tu)子(zi)(zi)便成(cheng)(cheng)豁子(zi)(zi)嘴了(le)(le)(le)。斧(fu)頭(tou)從吳(wu)剛(gang)(gang)手(shou)中丟落(luo)，掉(diao)到(dao)(dao)長江邊，砸了(le)(le)(le)一(yi)(yi)(yi)個方圓幾百(bai)里的(de)(de)(de)坑，天長日久，便成(cheng)(cheng)了(le)(le)(le)湖(hu)(hu)(hu)了(le)(le)(le)，人們將(jiang)(jiang)這湖(hu)(hu)(hu)叫(jiao)斧(fu)頭(tou)湖(hu)(hu)(hu)。
優勢
斧頭湖(hu)的北、東(dong)、南(nan)三面(mian)(mian)多丘陵，湖(hu)岸曲折，西(xi)面(mian)(mian)為(wei)沖擊平(ping)原，湖(hu)岸亦較平(ping)直(zhi)。流域面(mian)(mian)積1238平(ping)方公(gong)(gong)(gong)里(li)(li)(li)，湖(hu)面(mian)(mian)216平(ping)方公(gong)(gong)(gong)里(li)(li)(li)，由于(yu)徑(jing)流匯(hui)入量(liang)大，湖(hu)水(shui)水(shui)位最高達24.3米(mi)。1971年以來(lai)，綜合治理(li)斧頭湖(hu)后（修建(jian)余碼頭大閘和余碼頭電力排灌站、金水(shui)閘電排站），現斧頭湖(hu)湖(hu)面(mian)(mian)，東(dong)西(xi)寬9公(gong)(gong)(gong)里(li)(li)(li)，南(nan)北長18公(gong)(gong)(gong)里(li)(li)(li)，面(mian)(mian)積162.44平(ping)方公(gong)(gong)(gong)里(li)(li)(li)，生產(chan)線（保(bao)持(chi)水(shui)位）由原來(lai)的21.5米(mi)降到20.5米(mi)。在嘉魚縣(xian)轄(xia)域內(nei)，湖(hu)面(mian)(mian)38.75平(ping)方公(gong)(gong)(gong)里(li)(li)(li)，增(zeng)墾農田1.4萬畝。
資源
斧(fu)頭(tou)湖西岸(an)的(de)沖擊(ji)平原，土壤肥沃，孕育了(le)以嘉魚縣(xian)潘家灣鎮(zhen)為中心(xin)的(de)全(quan)縣(xian)42萬(wan)畝蔬菜(cai)(cai)(cai)基地，年產聯樂牌無(wu)公害新(xin)鮮蔬菜(cai)(cai)(cai)近百萬(wan)噸(dun)，蔬菜(cai)(cai)(cai)品(pin)種(zhong)(zhong)(zhong)逐步由(you)大(da)路菜(cai)(cai)(cai)向精細菜(cai)(cai)(cai)，旱生(sheng)菜(cai)(cai)(cai)向水生(sheng)菜(cai)(cai)(cai)，家生(sheng)菜(cai)(cai)(cai)向野(ye)生(sheng)菜(cai)(cai)(cai)，常規(gui)品(pin)種(zhong)(zhong)(zhong)向名優特(te)品(pin)種(zhong)(zhong)(zhong)延(yan)伸(shen)(shen)；生(sheng)產方式(shi)由(you)平面種(zhong)(zhong)(zhong)植(zhi)向立體(ti)種(zhong)(zhong)(zhong)植(zhi)延(yan)伸(shen)(shen)。即(ji)“引洋種(zhong)(zhong)(zhong)，種(zhong)(zhong)(zhong)洋種(zhong)(zhong)(zhong)；引名種(zhong)(zhong)(zhong)種(zhong)(zhong)(zhong)精細菜(cai)(cai)(cai)；育土種(zhong)(zhong)(zhong)種(zhong)(zhong)(zhong)野(ye)生(sheng)菜(cai)(cai)(cai)；育新(xin)種(zhong)(zhong)(zhong)種(zhong)(zhong)(zhong)反(fan)季節(jie)菜(cai)(cai)(cai)”，初步形成全(quan)縣(xian)一(yi)業(ye)，各鎮(zhen)一(yi)品(pin)的(de)格局，已成為全(quan)國聞名的(de)“蔬菜(cai)(cai)(cai)之鄉”。
斧頭湖西岸的渡普鎮依托斧頭湖豐富的水產資源，建成了(le)一個萬畝(mu)連片精養魚(yu)池基地(di)和一個萬畝(mu)連片圍欄養殖基地(di)，2004年(nian)全鎮養殖面積(ji)達59100畝(mu)，鮮魚(yu)產量達15670噸，蝦(xia)、蟹產量達670噸，面積(ji)、產量均(jun)占全縣(xian)的四分之一。為嘉魚(yu)縣(xian)成為“全國百強水產縣(xian)”、“湖北(bei)十(shi)強水產縣(xian)”作出(chu)了(le)貢(gong)獻。
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