The Dammed Yangtze - Making a Lake

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The Dammed Yangtze - Making a Lake
Oct 19, 2010 07:50
JABAROOTOO Points: Join Date: Jul 4, 2005 Status: offline	I heard that when the New Three Gorges Dam was complete it would create a lake that backed all the way upstream to Chongqing (300kms more or less) but it was hard to believe at the time. Well this week I have seen it happen. I cross both the Jialing (a Yangtze tributary) and the Yangtze River twice a day to and from work so have taken quite and interest in the water levels in the year that I have been doing this commute to work. This summer the river peaked twice at exceptionally high levels and then subsided as you would expect. However we've had less rain in recent weeks and water levels in both the rivers have continued to rise steadily in the past few weeks to about 10/15 meters below this summer highest peaks. The flow of the current, especially in the Jialing has slowed dramatically and the colour of the water is quite green even after last weeks rain which quickly turns the water brown. The current in the Yangtze has also slowed and shipping is hardly making any effort to work it's way upstream in contrast to the usual struggle. I have watched smaller boats on occasion try three or four times to round a buoy, give up, back off and try once again. I now watch with interest as winter progresses and the levels drop to meet the demand for water downstream. Good news is that some of the silt will drop upstream before ever reaching the Dam..........
JABAROOTOO Points: Join Date: Jul 4, 2005 Status: offline	Last edited by JABAROOTOO: Oct 19, 2010 08:01

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