Severe drought forces release of water from Three Gorges Dam

YICHANG, May 7 (Xinhua) – The Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydropower project, is expected to increase its water discharges over three days in a bid to fight the severe drought that has ravaged Central China’s Hubei province and some southern provinces since February. The discharge speed of the dam will accelerate to 7,000 cubic meters per second during the next three days, 1,500 cubic meters faster than the inflow speed, said Wang Hai of the dam’s construction and operation management bureau. The decision was jointly made Saturday by the flood control and drought relief headquarters of the Yangtze River and China Three Gorges Corporation to fight the drought while maintaining normal shipping along the Yangtze River, China’s longest waterway. Hubei province, where Three Gorges is located, now is facing the worst spring drought in 50 years. Other downriver provinces such as Jiangxi and Hunan, both of which are major grain producers, are also affected by the drought. …

Three Gorges Dam to unleash water, ease drought

May 9 (Dredging Today) – Authorities are rushing to clear snarled shipping traffic and prevent accidents along the drought-stricken Yangtze River, a key route to fast-growing markets in inland China. Several sections of the drought-stricken Yangtze River, China’s longest waterway, may pose dangers for shipping traffic, the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Maritime Safety Administration said on Friday. Relevant government units have been asked to strengthen traffic management on the river and ensure safety on the key routes, according to the administration’s statement. The water level of the Yangtze River has dropped sharply since February, with its middle reaches falling to levels not seen in 50 years. In addition, the water level near the river’s Three Gorges Dam is at five-year low. In the past three days, maritime safety bureaus in the cities of Chongqing, Wuhan and Huangshi have issued alarms and assisted ships that have run aground. The drought has reduced water levels in the river to a “worrying level”, said Wang Xiandeng, head of the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Wuhan waterway bureau. Dozens of emergency teams have been deployed along the river’s middle reaches to help prevent accidents, said a notice on the government’s website. It said water levels at some measuring stations had dropped to record low levels. Although the 6,300-kilometer Yangtze River is better known for its summer flooding, a severe drought in northern and eastern China has sharply reduced runoff into the river, which stretches from far western Qinghai to China’s Pacific coast. The prolonged dry spell has stunted the winter wheat crop, sapped hydroelectricity production and threatened drinking water supplies for at least 3 million people. Much of vast Poyang Lake, a wetland that often absorbs floodwaters during the typhoon season, is now a flat dusty plain. …

China: Authorities to Prevent Accidents Along Yangtze River