Three Gorges Project Reaches Water Storage Level of 175 Meters

According to the river records of China Yangtze Three Gorges Group Company, on 30th, October Three Gorges Dam reached its designed highest mark of 175 meters. That is to say, this is the second time for reaching the water storage target, which is also the world's largest water control and hydropower project run at full capacity. It is a symbol of completion of experimental water storage of Three Gorges Project.

Approved by the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, Three Gorges Project of experimental water storage of 175 meters started on 10th, September, with the first water storage level of 152.24 meters. After nearly two months, Three Gorges Project reached his designed level.

At 5 o'clock pm yesterday afternoon, the front water level of Three Gorges Reservoir reached 175 meters and 64.92 meters water level of the downstream. The total storage volume of Three Gorges Reservoir was more than 30 billion cubic meters which included the new capacity of nearly 20 billion cubic meters. At that time, Three Gorges hydropower station ran at full capacity of 8.2 million kilowatts.

According to the implementation plan of Three Gorges Project experimental water storage of 2011, the Three Gorges Reservoir will operate to the water level of 174.9 meters to 175.1 meters from November to December, but gradually descend during January to April next year. Before the coming of flood next year, the water level of Three Gorges Reservoir will descend to 145 meters to store water by the use of storage volume.

It is important to complete the experimental water storage of 175 meters of Three Gorges Project. When the water level reaches the mark of 175 meters, Three Gorges Dam will operate for flood control, navigation, power generation, water storage and drought resisting, and other benefits. On the other hand, water storage is also a challenge of buildings, the geological and other aspects of Three Gorges Dam, thus we call it "experimental water storage".