Yangtze River’s No. 4 flood of 2020 passes Three Gorges Dam

The fourth flood of China's Yangtze River this year has smoothly passed the Three Gorges Dam on August 15 as the inflow into the reservoir has decreased.

The fourth flood arrived at the dam at 8 a.m., with water inflow of 62,000 cubic meters per second, according to the dam’s managing authority China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG).

The Three Gorges Dam continues to play a key role in ensuring the safety of the Yangtze River region, retaining 33.1 percent of the peak floodwater this time.

The Three Gorges Dam is currently discharging water at a rate of 41,500 cubic meters per second. The fourth flood was the biggest one the Three Gorges Dam has seen since the flooding season began in 2020 and the third largest one ever since the dam was built.

The Three Gorges reservoir reserved a flood-control capacity of nearly 17.8 billion cubic meters before the arrival of the fourth flood. There will be sustained heavy rainfall in the upper Yangtze River basin from August 15 to 20, and a new round of floods will commence at the Three Gorges hub around August 20, according to the latest hydrometeorological forecast. The Three Gorges project will continue to safeguard the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River against the flood by retaining the flood water and reducing water flow during peak flooding times.