Three Gorges Reservoir frees up nearly 90% storage capacity for flooding season

The water level of the Three Gorges Reservoir has dropped to an elevation of about 150 meters, just 5 meters away from fully freeing up its flood storage capacity, according to its managing authority. So far, over 19.6 billion cubic meters of its flood storage capacity has been freed up, accounting for nearly 90% of its total capacity.

Due to the continued rainfall in Dongting Lake, Poyang Lake and other river systems, the water level in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River has been rising since May, and the water level in Wuhan and other places has exceeded the water level of flood prevention.

The Three Gorges Reservoir, which is freeing up its flood storage capacity ahead of the flood season, manages to address the needs of both flood control and ecological operation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, flexibly adjusting its discharging-water schedule.

The Three Gorges Reservoir has been reducing its outflow since May 26. As of May 31, its average daily outflow rate had dropped from 13,300 cubic meters per second to 11,200 cubic meters per second, effectively reducing the inflow from the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

The water level will be lowered to an elevation of 145 meters by June 10, freeing up all the flood storage capacity of the reservoir to cope with potential floods in the Yangtze River basin during the flood season as part of the efforts to ensure the flood control safety in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.