Downstream Yangtze River levels impacted by Three Gorges Dam
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15548551 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jida Wang (0000-0003-3548-8918, University of California, Los Angeles), Yongwei Sheng (0000-0003-4447-944X, University of California, Los Angeles, corresponding author), Colin J Gleason (0000-0002-3525-6220, University of California, Los Angeles), Yoshihide Wada (0000-0003-4770-2539, Utrecht University) |
| Year | 2013 |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 044012-044012 |
| Publication date | 2013-10-23 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Environmental Research Letters (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1748-9326 • E-ISSN: 1748-9326 |
| Publisher | IOP Publishing (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1088/1748-9326/8/4/044012 |
| OpenAlex | W2128974334 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 7 |
| References cited | 31 |
Changes in the Yangtze River level induced by large-scale human water regulation have profound implications on the inundation dynamics of surrounding lakes/wetlands and the integrity of related ecosystems. Using in situ measurements and hydrological simulation, this study reveals an altered Yangtze level regime downstream from the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) to the Yangtze estuary in the East China Sea as a combined result of (i) TGD's flow regulation and (ii) Yangtze channel erosion due to reduced sediment load. During the average annual cycle of TGD's regular flow control in 2009–2012, downstream Yangtze level variations were estimated to have been reduced by 3.9–13.5% at 15 studied gauging stations, manifested as evident level decrease in fall and increase in winter and spring. The impacts on Yangtze levels generally diminished in a longitudinal direction from the TGD to the estuary, with a total time lag of ~9–12 days. Chronic Yangtze channel erosion since the TGD closure has lowered water levels in relation to flows at most downstream stations, which in turn counteracts the anticipated level increase by nearly or over 50% in winter and spring while reinforcing the anticipated level decrease by over 20% in fall. Continuous downstream channel erosion in the near future may further counteract the benefit of increased Yangtze levels during TGD's water supplement in winter and accelerate the receding of inundation areas/levels of downstream lakes in fall
Bank erosion · Channel (broadcasting · China · Erosion · Estuary · Geography · Geomorphology · Hydrology (agriculture · Inflow · Three gorges · Water level · Wetland · Yangtze river · Coastal and Marine Dynamics · Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics · Environmental Science · Flood Risk Assessment and Management · Ecology · Geology · Oceanography
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| Citations per year | 0.54 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2013 - 2026 (14) |
| Highly cited | No |