Authorities raised the discharge volume to a record 48,800 cubic metres per second on Thursday to try and lower water levels, and they might have to increase it again to avoid the possibility of a dangerous overflow. Torrential rain has water level at world’s biggest dam to record forcing authorities to increase discharge volumes. The floods have also raised concerns about food security. Inflow into the Three Gorges Dam reached a record net 26,000 cu. By Thursday morning, 11 outlets of the dam had been opened to discharge 49.2m litres of water a second, the largest release since its construction. Water levels at China’s giant Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze river are inching closer to their maximum after torrential rains raised inflows to a record high, official data showed on Friday. "The huge weight of the water behind the Three Gorges Dam had started to erode the Yangtze's banks in many places, which, together with frequent fluctuations in water levels… Important Three Gorges Dam data as of yesterday: 61,000 cubic meters/second inflow 36,000 cubic meters/second outflow. On 20 July water inside the Three Gorges Dam reservoir rose 6 feet above the warning level, and exceeding the flood control line. A breach of the dam, a controversial and unprecedented feat of engineering along the Yangtze River, would be embarrassing for China, which took 12 years to build the megaproject, displacing millions and submerging swathes of land. Antoninus and Models The Three Gorges dam is desperately discharging water, but the water level has risen by 5 meters in 34 hours. ‘Unprecedented exodus’: Why are migrant workers leaving the UK? Three Gorges Dam (三峡水库) All time Last 3 days Last 24 hours The normal water level of the reservoir is 175m with a corresponding storage of 3.93 × 10 10 m 3. In Chongqing, roads, bridges, parks and a main highway in the commercial district were flooded, affecting 260,000 people and damaging at least 20,000 businesses, according to officials. But opponents say the flood control capability of the Three Gorges Dam is limited, and it could even make the problem worse in the long term. 2020 Three Gorges Dam water level. A report from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said the supply gap was likely to be about 130m tons by the end of 2025. Yangtze River's fifth flood peak this year reached the Three Gorges Dam, with a reservoir inflow of 75,000 cubic meters per second, according to the #YangtzeRiver hydrological Network. Power generation is managed by China Yangtze Power, a listed subsidiary of China Three Gorges Corporation (CTGC)—a Central Enterprise SOE administered by SASAC. Though its flood-control systems most likely won't fail completely, the mere possibility that they could is a wake-up call. Meanwhile, the inflow increased to 26,500 cubic meters per second from 20,500 cubic meters per second on the previous day. The Chinese Ministry of Water Resources’ Yangtze River Hydrology Committee and China Three Gorges Group noted that to prevent the dam from overflowing, they had lifted more floodgates to drain water at 37,000 cubic meters per second since Tuesday, after the reservoir’s water level increased by more than eight meters in 48 hours to 163.5 meters. The Chinese leader toured Anhui province this week, another badly hit area where floods had eased slightly. © 2021 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. With 75,000 cubic metres per second of water flowing in from the Yangtze River on Thursday, the reservoir’s depth had reached 165.6 metres (543 feet) by Friday morning, up more than two metres (6.6 feet) overnight and almost 20 metres (65.6 feet) higher than the official warning level. Images showed flooding had submerged three-metre-high signs and buildings several storeys high. In Sichuan, emergency workers and volunteers were scrambling to protect a 1,200-year-old cultural relic, the Leshan Giant Buddha, as floodwaters reached the toes of the statue for the first time since 1949. The Three Gorges Dam forced the relocation of 1.2 million people and the destruction of many ancient sites. meters per second, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Officials expect water levels in … Up to last week, 63 million people had been affected by flooding, which had caused nearly 180 billion yuan ($26bn) in economic damage. Among those 32 main generators, 14 are installed in the north side of the dam… meters per second on August 19 causing water levels in the reservoir to rise to an unprecedented 166 meters. Extreme floods have hit China’s Three Gorges dam, which recorded the largest inflow of water in its history, prompting officials to assure the public it would not be breached. “The standard of construction of the dam is high and it can resist large floods,” it said. But experts say water levels at the Three Gorges reservoir should not pose a threat to the dam's multi-functional control system. Inflow into the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydroelectric dam, is expected to soon top its record of 76,000 cu. The flooding threatens to derail the country’s fragile recovery from the Covid-19 crisis. The three gorges reservoir is capable of holding a maximum water level of 175 metres. The TGR was first filled to the 135 m water level in 2003 (above the water level of the East China Sea, hereinafter), and the water storage in the reservoir then reached the level of 156 m in November 2006. There is no reason to think that the structure of the dam itself is under threat. The previous high level reached during the flood season since the dam became fully operational in 2012 was 163.11 meters. The Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River discharges water to lower the water level in the reservoir following heavy rainfall and floods in a … Upstream from the dam, officials in the city of Chongqing, in Sichuan province, evacuated almost 300,000 residents before the flooding. The water in many rivers and lakes has hit dangerously high levels, and more heavy rainfall and rainstorms are expected in the coming days. Saudi Arabia to reopen Qatar embassy in coming days, Social media ban threatens ‘last relic’ of Tunisia’s revolution, Museveni declared winner of disputed Uganda presidential election, Laschet succeeds Merkel as German CDU party leader. Indeed, the dam was designed to help cope with floods along the Yangtze. China’s giant hydroelectric dams have stored more than 100 billion cubic metres of floodwater this year, and shielded 18.5 million residents from evacuation, according to government figures. Rainfall in the Yangtze basin has been well over double the seasonal average this year. Last modified on Thu 20 Aug 2020 13.20 BST. Three floodgates of the Three Gorges Dam that spans the Yangtze River were opened as the water level behind the massive dam rose more than 50 feet above … Rain is still falling this week in central China. The outbreak has caused an estimated 179bn yuan in losses and displaced more than 4 million people, according to officials. #ChinaFloods2020 #Hubei #ThreeGorgesDam #三峡大坝 pic.twitter.com/bQB747Zqh7, — CGTN Culture (@CGTN_Culture) August 21, 2020. According to the Three Gorges Corporation, the water level in the reservoir reached a record high flood season level of 164.18 meters on July 19. Firefighters were using boats to transport trapped residents. Xinhua claimed that the water level of the dam's reservoir had fallen to 158.56 metres after the safe discharge. Last week, the gargantuan Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze opened three floodgates as the water level behind the massive dam rose more than 15 meters (50 feet) above flood level. The Chinese nation has fought natural disasters for thousands of years … We will continue to fight.”, Companies could face fines amid demands UK government do more to challenge China, Former head of China Huarong Asset Management given no option for reprieve, Deal set to anger incoming Biden administration in US, which demanded to be consulted before deal went ahead, Police in China detain colleague of Yoozoo Games founder Lin Qi on suspicion of involvement in death, Available for everyone, funded by readers. a person taking photos while water is released from the Three Gorges Dam, a gigantic hydropower project on the Yangtze river, to relieve flood pressure in … Photo taken on June 8, 2020 shows the Three Gorges Dam in Yichang, central China's Hubei Province. Items portrayed in this file depicts. Water levels at China’s giant Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze river are inching closer to their maximum after torrential rains raised inflows to a record high, official data showed on Friday. Officials expect water levels in the reservoir, whose dam was built to withstand a water level of 175 metres, to reach 165.5 metres on Saturday. “They will do everything they can to prevent the dam from overtopping,” said Desiree Tullos, a professor at Oregon State University who studies the Three Gorges project, the world’s biggest hydroelectric dam. For these reasons, and in order to produce a clear-eyed analysis of the costs and benefits of the Three Gorges Dam, we are tracking the daily Three Gorges reservoir level here. All rights reserved. The Three Gorges dam, which can handle inflows of about 98.8m litres a second, is already approaching its capacity. This week the ministry of water resources said the standard of construction meant 111 large reservoirs upstream from the dam could help lessen pressure on the structure. Fear and anxiety arose over the structural integrity of the dam with the rising waters and stubborn rain. Its water level hit its peak height of 175 meters (574 feet) at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, according to project operator, the China Three Gorges Project Corp. This is well above the 145-meter “safe” threshold but below the maximum water level of 175 meters. After Capitol attack, Trump’s approval rating slides in US polls, Trump administration carries out 13th, final federal execution, US now says no direct evidence of ‘kill capture teams’ at Capitol, Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. Last week, the controversial Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze opened three floodgates as the water level behind the massive dam rose more than 50 feet above flood level. At full capacity, the reservoir has a surface water area of … Water levels closer to maximum at China dam Floods had caused nearly 180 billion yuan ($26 billion) in economic damages by last week, and 63 million people have been affected In this aerial photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, flooding is seen in Bikou township of Longnan city in northwestern China's Gansu Province on Tuesday. The flooding is predicted to last about five days. The Three Gorges Dam is the world's largest capacity hydroelectric power station with 34 generators: 32 main generators, each with a capacity of 700 MW, and two plant power generators, each with capacity of 50 MW, making a total capacity of 22,500 MW. The Three Gorges Dam is about 594 feet (181 meters) tall and 7,770 feet (2,335 meters) long. The reservoir is designed to hold a maximum water level of 175 meters. Sampling stations in the Three Gorges Reservoir. After two months of heavy floods across central and south-west China, officials have promised the dam can withstand the flows. On Thursday, levels along the Yangtze near Chongqing reached heights not seen since 1981, when the country experienced its worst floods in a century, leaving 1.5 million homeless. Officials seek to reassure public after world’s largest hydro-electric dam nears capacity amid heavy floods, Thu 20 Aug 2020 08.34 BST The water level in China’s massive Three Gorges Reservoir reached 147 meters on Saturday, two meters above the flood warning line. The dam’s maximum water level is 175 meters. The limiting level during flood season is 145m, with a flood control storage of 2.215 × 10 10 m 3. Nevertheless, the current situation is the first major test that the Three Gorges Dam has been put to. Raab to clampdown on firms linked to forced labour in Xinjiang, China sentences top banker to death for corruption and bigamy, China and EU poised to sign long-delayed investment deal, Game of Thrones video game tycoon dies in suspected poisoning, Liu Xiaoming to quit his role of Chinese ambassador to Britain, Chinese authorities detain citizen who works for Bloomberg news, ICC asks for more evidence on Uighur genocide claims, Details revealed of secret deal that gave Chinese spies free rein in Switzerland. The maximum designed depth of China’s largest reservoir is 175 metres (574 feet). The Three Gorges dam, which can handle inflows of about 98.8m litres a second, is already approaching its capacity. The 2,309-meter-long and 185-meter-high dam ran into operation in 2003. File history. Threateningly high water levels caused by high inflows indicate that the dam cannot contain floodwaters, as promised. Xi Jinping stood atop a floodgate and visited soldiers, declaring: “I have always been concerned about the people in flood-stricken areas. “An overtopping dam is a worst-case scenario because it produces significant damage … and can lead to the entire thing collapsing.”. Current water height: 164 meters Max designed dam height: 175m Height of dam: 185m — Joe Colangelo (@Itsjoeco) July 20, 2020. Inflows to the world’s largest hydro-electric dam reached 75m litres of water a second, according to state media. Bao Zhengfeng, a senior official at the Three Gorges Cascade Dispatch and Communication Center, told domestic media Thursday that the water level is expected to peak at 168 meters on Sunday, and added that the current inflow rate is manageable. In Chongqing, over 100,000 tonnes of silt are reported to have been removed to relieve pressure on the reservoir. One of the world's largest, the Three Gorges Dam in Hubei Province is now holding back water from the Yangtze River, China's longest, at a level topping 162 meters as of Tuesday afternoon. The Three Gorges, completed in 2012, was designed not only to generate power but also to reduce the risk of flooding from the Yangtze, the cause of many devastating floods throughout China’s history. The Three Gorges Reservoir extends 370 miles (600 kilometers) along the Yangtze River upstream from the dam. The provinces of Hunan, Henan and Hubei, where the Three Gorges dam is located, were also braced for heavy rain on Thursday. Cheng says that the flood has already raised the water dammed behind the Three Gorges to 50 — fifty — feet higher than the maximum flood level. The Three Gorges project alone has cut downstream floodwaters by 34 percent, officials said. 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