Three Gorges Dam braces for the biggest flood in its history

The Three Gorges Dam is bracing for the largest flood since the dam was completed in 2006, as Yangtze River, China's longest, recorded the fifth flood of the year in its upper reaches after a spell of heavy rainfall.

The Three Gorges reservoir is expected to see water inflow of 73,000 cubic meters per second at 8 a.m. on August 20, according to the latest hydrometeorological forecast, in what could be the biggest flood peak since the dam was built that will break the previous record of 71,200 cubic meters per second set in 2012.

The fifth flood is expected to be larger and last longer than the previous four. It comes just days after the fourth flood of the year passed the dam at 8 a.m. on August 15, when the dam saw an inflow of 62,000 cubic meters per second that has subsequently decreased to 47,500 cubic meters per second.

Sustained torrential rainfall in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River has led to near-record flooding in many tributaries located in the upper reaches such as Min River, Tuo River, and Fu River. Among them, the Gaochang hydrologic station at Min River is expected to brace for historical peak discharges during the flood.

Due to the superimposition of floods on the mainstream of the Yangtze River and the Jialing River at 8 p.m. on August 17, the Three Gorges dam saw an inflow of 51,000 cubic meters per second.

The upstream reservoirs of Wudongde, Xiluodu, and Xiangjiaba, all owned and operated by China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG), have been well coordinated to jointly retain the floodwater as part of their concerted efforts to effectively cope with the coming flood, fully playing its role of flood control and mitigating flood control pressure for the Sichuan-Chongqing section of the river and the Three Gorges Project.

To further help prepare for the incoming flood, the Yangtze River Water Resource Committee and other authorities have ordered The Three Gorges dam to increase its discharge flow from 42,000 cubic meters per second to 46,000 cubic meters per second.