Three Gorges Dam Benefits – Flood Control

The flood always in big problem in Chinese history, The Three Gorges Dam plays a very important role in Yangtze River flood control system. The flood control is one of the most important Three Gorges Dam benefits.

Three Gorges Dam Benefits – Flood Control

"The Jinjiang River is the most dangerous part in ten thousands miles long Yangtze River". The Jianghan Plain and Dongting Lake Plain which Jinjiang River passing by is very rich, where is grain depot, cotton mountain, oil sea, hometown of fish and rice. It is one of the richest areas along the Yangtze River, belonging to national important commodity grain, cotton and aquatic product base. The flood control problem in Jinjiang River is the most serious and most obvious problem in the middle and down stream of the Yangtze River. The normal water impounding level of Three Gorges Reservoir is 175 meters, with 22.15 billion cubic meters flood control capacity. The Three Gorges Dam offers effective guarantee to the flood control of Jinjiang River and plays an important role in the flood control of middle and down stream of the Yangtze River.

The Flood Control benefits of the Three Gorges Dam mainly perform as bellow:

1.If there is a thousands years flood or as large as 1870's, with the adjustment of Three Gorges Dam, the flow rate of Zhicheng Station will less than 71000 to 77000 cubic meters per second, working with the Jinjiang Food Diversion Project and other flood diversion methods, the water in Jinjiang City will be controlled under 45 meters. It can preventing the 15 million residence and 1.54 million square kilometers wide fields from the harm of flood.

2.The flood control standard of the Jinjiang River improved to 100 years flood from 10 years food. For the flood in 1931, 1935 and 1954, with the adjustment o Three Gorges Dam, the largest flow rate at Zhicheng can be controlled less than 56700 cubic meters per seconds. If the flood diversion project do not used, the water leveling Jinzhou City will less than 44.5 meters, which can decrease 64000 square kilometers submerged fields. Based on different adjustment way of Three Gorges dam, the Chenglingji area can decrease 30000 to 101000 square kilometers submerged fields in different years.

3.It can guarantee the safe of Wuhan. As the flood on upstream effectively controlled, it can be avoid that the Wuhan area is affected by flood due to the break of Jinjiang Dam. At the same time, as the Three Gorges Dam block the flood, the flood diversion amount of Chenglingji area will be decreased and increased the flood control ability up Chenglingji. The Three Gorges Dam is also helpful for the flood control below Wuhan area.

4.Due to the giant flood control capacity of Three Gorges Project, it will greatly improve the flexibility and reliability of flood control at the downstream of the Yangtze River, After Three Gorges Dam built, the flood can be blocked by the dam.

Of course, the Yangtze flood control project is a system project. In order to make the state of the Yangtze River more stable, and fully play its flood control and navigation benefits, except building the Three Gorges Dam, and plant protection forest in middle and down stream of the Yangtze River, build water conservancy project on Jinsha River, Wu River and some other branches of the Yangtze River, we also should keep on the integrated planning of the both banks, strengthen the construction of dike, flood diversion project and reservoir project