Lin Sheng-feng pointed out that aside from the excessive amount of rainfall one cause was excessive land use in Taoyuan County's Fuhsing Rural Township and Hsinchu County's Chienshih Rural Township, both located within the watershed of Shihmen Reservoir, where the land area used for orchards has increased by 1,020 hectares compared with 1998. Overall, some 938.3 hectares have been developed over the permissible limit, he said.
林盛豐指出，除了雨量過大外，位於石門水庫集水區的桃園縣復興鄉、新竹縣尖石鄉土地超限利用，高山果園面積大幅成長也是原因之一。資料顯示，該區高山果園面積較民國八十七年增加 1020 公頃，超限利用面積達 938.3 公頃。