GeographyCaseStudy ChangJiang ConsandProsoftheThreeGorgesProject Introduction China smassiveThreeGorgeshydroelectricprojecthasgeneratedplentyofcontroversyfromthestart Itwasfirstproposedin1919byrevolutionaryleaderSunYat senasawayofprovidingenergytofuelthenation sindustrialdevelopment Theplanwasrevivedin1954asawaytocontrolthechronicoverflowofthelegendaryYangtzeriveraftertensofthousandswerekilledinwidespreadflooding Afterseveralfalsestarts workbeganinearnestin1979 AdvocatessayChina sdevelopmentdependsonit Theysayitwillprovideacleansourceofenergyforfuturegenerations Butcriticssayitcouldbeamonumentalecologicaldisaster Thedam ssluicegateswereclosedonJune1 2003 allowingthereservoirbehindittobeginfilling ByJune10 2003 thewaterwas135metresdeep andit sexpectedtobe175metresdeepby2009 Locationof Sanxia AmanfishesaswaterflowsthroughwaterdiversionholesoftheThreeGorgesDamontheYangtzeRiverincentralChina sHubeiProvince June11 2003 Some10waterdiversionholeswereopenedtoreleasewater ThewaterleveloftheThreeGorgesReservoirreached135metres 433feet onJune10 APPhoto Xinhua DuHuaju TwomencarrybrickstoabargeatthetemporarydockatWushan inthemiddleoftheThreeGorgesontheYangtzeRiverincentralChina June6 2003 LowerlyingareasofthetownhavebeendemolishedinpreparationfortheincreaseinthewaterlevelasthecontroversialThreeGorgesDamreservoirbeginstofill APPhoto GregBaker AChinesemansitsintherubbleofthedemolishedoldtownofWushan ashelooksoutoverthecity stemporarydockontheYangtzeRiverincentralChina June6 2003 APPhoto GregBaker WorkersbuildastoneembankmentaswaterfromtheYangtzeRiverriseuptheshorelineatthenewlybuilttownofFengjie incentralChina sChongqingmunicipality June9 2003 TheoldtownofFengjiewasdemolishedbecauseitwasbelowthehighwatermarkofthereservoiroftheThreeGorgesDam APPhoto GregBaker ThreeyoungboyswatchasrisingwatersinundateacornfieldatQutangVillage nearFengjie incentralChina sChongqingmunicipality June9 2003 WaterlevelshavebeenrisingbetweentwoandfourmetreseachdaysinceChinabeganfillingthereservoir DespitewarningsfromlocalofficialsthatwaterswouldriseinJune manyfarmersplantedcropsbecausetheywereunsureofwherethehighwatermarkwasontheirland whileothersdidnotbelievethatwaterscouldrisesohigh APPhoto GregBaker ShipssailthroughtheXilingGorgeoftheThreeGorgesontheYangtzeRiverincentralChina June11 2003 ThewaterleveloftheThreeGorgesReservoirreached135metres 433feet June10 fivedaysaheadoftheschedule APPhoto Xinhua ChengMin Theaerialphoto takenonJune3 2003 showstheThreeGorgesReservoironthemiddlereachesoftheYangtzeRiveratYichang Hubeiprovince Thewaterlevelreached asplanned 114 29metreshighonthesluicegate APPhotoXinhua ChengMin HydroelectricgeneratingsetsoftheThreeGorgesProjectincentralChina sHubeiProvinceareshowninthisApril9 2003photo Fourofthehydroelectricgeneratingsets whichareinthefinalphaseofinstallationandtest willbeputintooperationlaterthisyear APPhoto Xinhua DuHuaju WaterflowsthroughwaterdiversionholesatthebottomoftheThreeGorgesdam June1 2003 China sThreeGorgesProjectofficiallybegantostorewaterasthesluicegateofthedamstartedtobeclosedasscheduled ChinabeganfillingthereservoirbehinditsgargantuanThreeGorgesDaminamajorsteptowardcompletionoftheworld largesthydroelectricproject APPhoto Xinhua ChengMin Amanrushestoboardaboatbeforeitleaves inChongqingcity ontheYangtzeRiverincentralChina June5 2003 Thoughmorethan600kilometres 372miles fromtheThreeGorgesDam waterlevelsatChongqingwillriseupto15metreswhenthedam sreservoirisfilledtoitshighestleveloncompletionin2009 APPhoto GregBaker PROS Floodcontrol Thereservoir s22km 28 9billioncubicyard floodstoragecapacitywilllessenthefrequencyofbigdownstreamfloodsfromonceevery10yearstoonceevery100years Itprotectslifeandproperty Navigation Theinstallationofshiplocksareintendedtoincreaserivershippingfrom10millionto50milliontonsannually withtransportationcostscutby30to37percent Cheapandconvenientrivertransportwillbeprovided Also shippingwillbecomesafer sincethegorgeshavelowerflowingspeedofchannel Agriculture Thereservoirstoresupthewaterthatcanbedivertedtoirrigatefarmland Itincreasescropproductionandexportsofsurplusfarmproduce e g citrusfruits EnergyandEnvironment Thedamwillgenerate18 200megawattsofHydroelectricpower theequivalentof18nuclearpowerplants Itwillfacilitateindustrialandeconomicdevelopment Chinanowreliesoncoalfor ofitselectricity Itsairisamongthefoulestintheworldandcontributestoglobalwarming Hydro electricpowerisarenewableenergysourcethatdoesnotgeneratewaste Itimprovesairpollution WaterSupply Damscanstorerainwaterorwaterdirectlyfromtheriveritself Then incaseofadrought thedamwillstillhavearelativelyconstantsupplyofwater Resettlement In1996 floodsdisplacedmorethanonemillionpeoplefromtheirhomes Besides 180millionpeoplearenowwithoutelectricityinChina But15millionpeopledownstreamwillbebetteroffduetothecontroloffloodandthesupplyofcheapelectricity Also populationdistributiontonewly openedarea e g highergroundofthedam willbepresent RecreationandTourism Theprojectprovidesrecreationalactivitiessuchasboatingfishingandswimming ifthelake