Water level in the Three Gorges Dam reservoir is nearing its maximum.
The water level of the Three Gorges Dam reservoir this morning reached 165.6m, exceeding the warning level by 20m and about to reach the maximum threshold of 175m.
Data released by Chinese authorities today showed that water levels at the Three Gorges Dam, a giant dam on the Yangtze River, are nearing their maximum after torrential rains upstream pushed water flows into the lake to record highs.
The Yangtze River Hydrological Network said that the water flow into the Three Gorges Dam reservoir yesterday reached 75,000 m3/s, an unprecedented high, caused the water level in the lake to reach 165.6m this morning, up more than 2m overnight and 20m higher than the warning level. The maximum designed water level of this largest reservoir in China is 175m.
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| The Three Gorges Dam in Hubei province, China, discharged floodwaters on July 19. Photo:Xinhua |
Chinese authorities have had to increase flood discharge to a record level of 48,800 m3/s on August 20, to try to lower the water level in the lake. They may continue to increase the discharge level to avoid the possibility of dam overflow.
Desiree Tullos, a professor at Oregon State University in the US who studies the Three Gorges project, said Chinese officials would "do everything they can to prevent the dam from overflowing." "Overtopping is the worst-case scenario because it causes significant damage and can cause the whole thing to collapse," he said.
Rainfall in the Yangtze River basin has been more than double the seasonal average this year. As of last week, the floods had caused nearly 180 billion yuan in economic losses to China, affecting 63 million people.
The Three Gorges project, completed in 2012, was designed not only to generate electricity but also to reduce the risk of flooding from the Yangtze River, which has caused many devastating floods throughout China's history.
China's giant hydroelectric dams have stored more than 100 billion cubic meters of water, according to government figures.3floodwaters this year, saving 18.5 million residents from having to evacuate. Officials say the Three Gorges project alone has reduced downstream floodwaters by 34 percent. But opponents of the project say the Three Gorges Dam’s flood control capabilities are limited and that it could even make the problem worse in the long run.
China experiences floods every year, but this year's floods were larger than usual and had a serious impact. The unusual rainfall occurred mainly in southern China. Rainfall in the Yangtze and Huai River basins reached its highest level since 1961.
The Yangtze River, also known as the Changjiang River, is the longest river in Asia and the third longest in the world after the Nile in Africa and the Amazon River in South America. The Yangtze River is about 6,385 km long, originating in western China and flowing eastward into the East China Sea.
