Three Gorges Dam
Three Gorges Dam
Official name	长江三峡大坝
Impounds	Yangtze River
Creates	Three Gorges Reservoir
Locale	Sandouping, Yichang, Hubei, China
Maintained by	China Three Gorges Dam Project
Length	2,335 metres (7,661 ft)
Height	101 metres (331 ft) from river level (185 metres (607 ft) from sea level)
Width (at base)	115 metres (377. Three Gorges Reservoir Region, including 25 County-level divisions of Chongqing municipality and Hubei province, is the region directly Yichang (宜昌 Pinyin: Yíchāng is a Prefecture-level city in Hubei province of China. ( Postal map spelling: Hupeh) is a central province of the People's Republic of China. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National 3 ft)
Construction began	1994-12-14
Construction Cost	Estimated 180 billion yuan (25 billion U.S. dollars)
Reservoir information
Capacity	39. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been 3 cu km  (9. 43 cu mi)
Catchment area	1,000,000 km² (386,102 sq mi)
Bridge information
Carries	598
Geographical Data
Coordinates	30°49′48″N 111°0′36″E / 30.83, 111.01

The Three Gorges Dam (simplified Chinese: 长江三峡大坝; traditional Chinese: 長江三峽大壩; pinyin: Chángjiāng Sānxiá Dà Bà) is a hydroelectric river dam that spans the Yangtze River in Sandouping, Yichang, Hubei, China. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Hydroelectricity is electricity generated by Hydropower, ie the production of power through use of the gravitational force of falling water "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there A dam is a barrier that divides waters. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water while other structures such as Floodgates, Levees Yichang (宜昌 Pinyin: Yíchāng is a Prefecture-level city in Hubei province of China. ( Postal map spelling: Hupeh) is a central province of the People's Republic of China. The total electric generating capacity of the dam will reach 22,500 megawatts,^[1] at which point it will be the largest hydro-electric power station in the world. The watt (symbol W) is the SI derived unit of power, equal to one Joule of energy per Second. This article provides a list of the largest hydroelectric power stations. This is the biggest project that has been undertaken in China since the Great Wall and the Grand Canal. The Great Wall of China ( or ( is a series of stone and earthen Fortifications in China, built rebuilt and maintained between the 6th century BC and the 16th The Grand Canal of China ( also known as the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal ( is the longest ancient Canal or artificial River in the world Several generators are yet to be installed; the dam is not expected to become fully operational until about 2011. ^[2]

As with many dams, there is a debate over costs and benefits. Although there are potential economic benefits such as flood control and hydroelectric power, there are also concerns about the relocation of people who have been or will be displaced by the rising waters; siltation that could limit the dam's useful life; loss of numerous valuable archaeological and cultural sites; and the adverse effects of increased pollution upon the regional ecosystem. A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land a deluge Development-induced displacement is the forcing of communities and individuals out of their homes often also their homelands for the purposes of Economic development. Silt is Soil or rock derived Granular material of a Grain size between sand and clay Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos ^[3]

Project history

The dam was originally envisioned by Sun Yat-sen in The International Development of China in 1919. Sun Yat-sen ( November 12, 1866 &ndash March 12, 1925) was a Chinese Revolutionary and political leader often ^[4] In 1932 the Nationalist government, led by Chiang Kai-shek, began preliminary work on plans for a dam in the Three Gorges. Chiang Kai-shek ( POJ: Chiúⁿ Kài-se̍k Jyutping: zoeng2gaai3sek6 GCB ( October 31, 1887 &ndash Then in 1939 the Japanese military forces occupied Yichang and surveyed the Three Gorges. A design, the Otani plan, was completed for the dam. Japan intended to build after its anticipated victory over China. ^[5] In 1944 involvement from the United States began when the Bureau of Reclamation engineer J. The Bureau of Reclamation (formerly the United States Reclamation Service) is an agency under the U L. Savage surveyed the area and drew up a dam proposal. Around 54 Chinese engineers were sent to the U. S. for training. Some exploration, survey, economic study, and design work was done, but the government, in the midst of the Chinese Civil War, halted work in 1947. ^[6]

After the 1949 communist victory, the leader Mao Zedong supported the project, but the Gezhouba Dam project was begun first and economic problems including The Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution slowed progress. Mao Zedong ( 26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976) was a Chinese Military and political leader who led The Gezhouba Dam or Gezhouba Water Control Project ( pinyin chángjiāng gězhōubà shuǐlì shūniǔ gōngchéng is located in the suburbs of Yichang City The Great Leap Forward ( of the People's Republic of China (PRC was an economic and social plan used from 1958 to 1960 which aimed to use China 's vast population The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in the People’s Republic of China was a struggle for power within the Communist Party of China that manifested into In 1958, after the Hundred Flowers Campaign, some engineers who spoke out against the project were imprisoned. The Hundred Flowers Campaign, also termed the Hundred Flowers Movement, ( is the period referring to a brief interlude in the People's Republic of China from ^[7]

During the 1980s plans were revived. Pushed through by Li Peng, the dam was approved by the National People's Congress in 1992 with a record number of abstentions and dissenting votes. Li Peng ( (b 20 October 1928 was the Premier of China between 1987 and 1998 the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress A similar term is "National Congress" which is a less common translation of People's Political Consultative Conference. The construction started on December 14, 1994. Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) ^[8] The dam was expected to be fully operational in 2009, but due to additional projects such as the underground power plant with 6 additional generators, and due to the complexity of the ship lift, the dam is not expected to become fully operational until about 2011. PowerPlant is an Object-oriented GUI toolkit, Application framework and set of class libraries for Mac OS, created by Metrowerks. ^[7]

Scale of the project

The dam wall is made of concrete and is about 2,309 metres (7,575 ft) long, and 101 metres (331 ft) high. The wall is 115 metres (377. 3 ft) thick on the bottom and 40 metres (131. 2 ft) thick on top. The project used 27,200,000 cubic metres (35,600,000 cu yd) of concrete, 463,000 tonnes of steel, enough to build 63 Eiffel Towers, and moved about 102,600,000 cubic metres (134,200,000 cu yd) of earth. CM3 redirects here If you were looking for the 3rd game in the Cooking Mama series abbreviated as CM3 see here. A cubic yard is an Imperial / US customary (non- SI non- metric) unit of Volume, used in the United States, Canada and The Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel /tuʀ ɛfɛl/ is an Iron Tower built CM3 redirects here If you were looking for the 3rd game in the Cooking Mama series abbreviated as CM3 see here. A cubic yard is an Imperial / US customary (non- SI non- metric) unit of Volume, used in the United States, Canada and ^[9]

When the water level is maximum at 175 metres (574 ft) over sea level (91 metres (299 ft) above river level) , the reservoir created by the Three Gorges Dam is about 660 kilometres (410 mi) in length and 1. 12 kilometres (0. 70 mi) in width on average, and contains 39. 3 cu km (9. 43 cubic miles) of water. The total surface area of the reservoir is 1045 sq km. The reservoir will flood a total area of 632 sq km of land compared to the 1,350 sq km of reservoir created by the Itaipu Dam. Itaipu ( Guarani: Itaipu, Portuguese: Itaipu, Spanish: Itaipú; itaiˈpu is a hydroelectric dam on The Three Gorges Dam reservoir is longer than the 560 kilometres (348 mi) length of Lake Superior, but only 1. Lake Superior is the largest of the five Great Lakes of North America. 1 % of the surface area of the lake (82,400 sq km) and about 1/700 of the volume of the lake (28700 cu km). ^[10]

The dam will raise the water level the third time to its designed maximium water level (175m above sea level) by the end of 2008. ^[11]

Economics

Three Gorges Dam Francis Turbine

When finished, the project will have cost 180 billion yuan, over 20 billion yuan less than the initial estimated budget of 203. The Francis turbine is a type of Water turbine that was developed by James B 9 billion yuan, just under 30 billion USD. This is because the calculation accounts for the effect of inflation, and the lower costs are attributed to a low inflation rate in recent years. ^[12] It is estimated that the cost of construction will be recovered when the dam generates 1000 TWh of the electricity, which will be sold at the price of 250 billion yuan. This will take 10 more years after the dam starts full operation. ^[4]

Sources for funding include the Three Gorges Dam Construction Fund, revenue from Gezhouba Dam, policy loans from the China Development Bank, loans from domestic and foreign commercial banks, corporate bonds, and revenue from Three Gorges Dam before and after it is fully operational, with additional charges for electricity contributing to the Three Gorges Construction Fund. The Gezhouba Dam or Gezhouba Water Control Project ( pinyin chángjiāng gězhōubà shuǐlì shūniǔ gōngchéng is located in the suburbs of Yichang City The China Development Bank ( CDB) ( is a financial institution in the People's Republic of China (PRC under the direct jurisdiction of the State Council A Corporate Bond is a bond issued by a Corporation. The term is usually applied to longer-term debt instruments generally with a maturity date falling at least a The additional charges are as follows: Every province receiving power from the Three Gorges Dam has to pay an additional charge of ¥7. 00 per MWh. Provinces that will not receive power from the Three Gorges Dam have to pay an additional charge of ¥4. 00 per MWh. Tibet does not have to pay any additional money. ^[13]

Hydroelectricity generation and distribution

Total generating capacity

Electricity production in China by source. Compare: The fully completed Three Gorges dam will contribute about 100 TWh of generation per year.      thermofossil      hydroelectric      nuclear

The Three Gorges Dam is the world’s largest hydro-electric power station by total capacity, which will be 22,500 MW. ^[4] It will have 34 generators in total. 32 of them are main generators, each with a capacity of 700 MW, and the other two are plant power generators to power another 32 generators, each with capacity of 50 MW. Fourteen are installed in the north side of the dam, twelve in the south side and the remaining six in the underground power plant in the mountain south of the dam. After completion, the expected annual electricity generation would be over 100 TWh, 18% more than originally predicted 84. 7 TWh, since six more generators were added to the project in 2002.

Generators

Each of the main generators weighs about 6000 tonnes and is designed to produce at least 700 MW of power, which is enough to power a large city. The designed head of the generator is 80. 6 m. The flow rate varies between 600 cu m to 950 cu m depending on the head available. The Three Gorges Dam project installs Francis Turbines. The Francis turbine is a type of Water turbine that was developed by James B The Francis Turbine is the most efficient turbine in the world. ^[14]The diameter of the turbine is 9. 709/10. 427m(VGS design/Alstom's design). It rotates at a speed of 75 rpm. The normal rated power of the generator is 778 MVA. The maximum power is 840 MVA. The power factor is 0. 9. The generator produces electrical power at 20 kV. The outer diameter of the generator stator is 21. 42/20. 9m. The inner diameter is 18. 5/18. 8m. The height of the stator is 3. 13/2. 95m. It is the biggest stator in the world. The load at the bearing is 5050/5500 tonnes. The efficiency of the generator is above 90%.

The generators are manufactured by two joint ventures. One of them includes Alstom , ABB , Kvaerner and the Chinese company Haerbin Motor. Alstom ( is a large French multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and Transport markets Kværner was a Norway -based Engineering and Construction services company in existence between 1853 and 2005 when it was merged The other includes Voith , General Electric, Siemens (abbreviated as VGS), and the Chinese company Oriental Motor. The Voith AG which is headquartered in Germany, is a family-run corporation in the mechanical engineering sector with worldwide operations The technology transfer agreement was signed together with the contract. More than 8 of the 32 generators are made in China. Most of the generators are water-cooled. Some newer ones are air-cooled, which are simpler in design,manufacture and easier to maintain. ^[15]

Generator installation progress

The 14 generators in north side of the dam have already been installed. The first one (No. 2 ) started to power on July 10, 2003. Events 48 BC - Battle of Dyrrhachium, Julius Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The last one (No. 9) started to power on September 7, 2005. Events 1251 BC - A Solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes Greece. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. All the 14 generators first ran to full power (9800 MW) on October 18, 2006 after the water level had been raised to 156 m. Events 1009 - The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a Christian church in Jerusalem, is completely destroyed by the Fatimid Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[16]

The first generator (No. 22) in the south side of the dam started working on June 11, 2007. Events 1184 BC - Trojan War: Troy is sacked and burned according to the calculations of Eratosthenes. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Four generators on the south side of the dam are currently being installed, with another 8 already completed. The sixth generator in the south side (No. 17) started working on December 18, 2007. Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. It brought the total capacity of the dam to 14. 1 GW, surpassing the generating capacity of Itaipu (14. Itaipu ( Guarani: Itaipu, Portuguese: Itaipu, Spanish: Itaipú; itaiˈpu is a hydroelectric dam on 0 GW), to become the largest hydroelectric power plant in the world. The seventh generator in the south side (No. 17) started working on December 27, 2007. Events 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The eighth generator in the south side (No. 24) started working on April 25, 2008. Events 1607 - Eighty Years' War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[17] The total capacity of the plant is currently at 15. 50 GW. The underground power plant and its six generators are still under construction. The Three Gorges Dam project also sets the record of having most generators being installed in one year (2007), that is 7 units with a capacity of more than 5000 MW. ^{[18] [19]}

Total power generated

As of 12:00 am May 9, 2008 the Three Gorge Dam Project had generated over 223 TWh of electricity^[20], more than one fifth of the 1000 TWh it needs to generate to cover the cost (see Economics section). Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[21][19]

Three Gorges Dam (left), Gezhouba Dam (right).

Power distribution

The electricity generated by the Three Gorges Dam project is sold to the State Grid Corporation and China South Power Grid Corporation at a rate of ¥250 per MWh ($35. State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC ( Simplified Chinese: 国家电网公司 is the largest Electric power transmission and distribution company in China 7 US). Nine provinces and two cities consume the power from it, including Shanghai. Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million ^[22]

The power distribution and transmission of the Three Gorges Dam project cost about 34. 387 billion Yuan. It was completed in December 2007, one year ahead of time. ^[23]

Power is sent in three directions. The 500 kV DC transmission line to the East China Grid has a capacity of 7,200 MW. There are three 500 kV DC transmission lines: HVDC Three Gorges-Shanghai(3,000 MW), HVDC Three Gorges-Changzhou(3,000 MW) and HVDC Gezhouba - Shanghai(1,200 MW). The HVDC Three Gorges-Changzhou is an 890  Kilometre -long bipolar HVDC powerline in China for the transmission of electric power from the Three The HVDC Gezhouba - Shanghai is a high voltage direct current transmission transmission system between Gezhouba and Nan Qiao near Shanghai, China put The 500 kV AC transmission line to Central China Grid has a capacity of 12,000 MW. The other 500 kV DC transmission line HVDC Three Gorges-Guangdong to South China Grid has a capacity of 3,000 MW and supplies Guangdong. The HVDC Three Gorges-Guangdong is a 940  Kilometre -long bipolar HVDC powerline in China for the transmission of electric power from the Three Guangdong ( EFEO: Kouangtong; Pinyin Guǎngdōng; Postal map spelling: Kwangtung) is a province on the ^[24]

In the original plan, it was expected to provide 10% of electricity consumption in China. However, China’s demand for electricity has increased at a higher rate than was planned, and if fully operational now, it would support about 3% of the total electricity consumption in China. ^[25]

Environmental Contribution of the dam

Direct reduction of air pollutant and greenhouse gas emission

According to The National Development and Reform Commission of China, it takes 366 grams of coal to generate 1 kWh of electricity in China(2006). ^[26] Therefore, the Three Gorges Dam will potentially reduce the coal consumption by 31 million tonnes per year, cutting the emission of 100 million tonnes of greenhouse gas,^[27] millions of tonnes of dust, 1 million tonnes of sulfur dioxide, 370 thousand tonnes of nitric oxide, 10 thousand tonnes of carbon monoxide and a significant amount of mercury into the atmosphere. Nitric oxide or nitrogen monoxide is a Chemical compound with Chemical formula N[[Oxygen O]] ^[28] The elimination of the fossil fuel also reduces the energy consumption in mining, washing and transporting about 31 million tonnes of coal from northern China to the load centre in south and east China.

Since the Three Gorges Dam project first powered in July 10, 2003, total power production is equivalent to 84 million tonnes of standard coal and reduces carbon dioxide emission by 190 million tonnes, sulfur dioxide by 2. 29 million tonnes and nitroxides by 980,000 tonnes. ^[29]

Reduction of greenhouse gas due to navigation

From 2004 to 2007 there were total of 198 million tonnes of goods passed through the Three Gorges Dam ship locks. The freight capacity of the river increased 6 times and the cost of shipping reduced by 25%, compared to previous years, which reduces carbon dioxide emission by 630,000 tonnes. Comparing to highway transportation, the amount of fuel that Three Gorges Dam project saved between the year of 2004 and 2007 is equivalent to 4,100,000 tonnes of standard coal. Thus it reduces carbon dioxide emission by 10 million tones. ^[30]

Aforestation

The Three Gorges Dam pushes the Chinese government to think seriously about the environmental issues associated with the dam, such as deforestation and water pollution. “The FAO’s research suggests that the Asia-Pacific region will overall, gain about 6,000 square km of forest in 2008. That is quite a turnaround from the 13,000 square km net loss of forest each year in the 1990s. The main reason is China’s huge reforestation effort. This accelerated after terrible floods in 1998 convinced the government that it must restore tree cover, especially in the mighty Yangtze’s basin” upstream of the Three Gorges Dam. ^[31]

Waste management

Since the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, many waste water treatment plants have been completed to reduce the water pollution from the large populated city Chongqing and the suburban area around it. According to the ministry of environmental protection of PRC, until April 2007, there were more than 50 waste water treatment plants installed and the total capacity reached 1. 84 million tonne per day. More than 65% of the waste water is treated before being dumped into the Three Gorges Dam reservoir. About 32 land sites deposit were completed and could handle 7664. 5 tonne of solid waste every day. ^[32][33]

Flood control and drought relief

The most significant function of the dam is to control flooding, which is a major problem of a seasonal river like the Yangtze. Millions of people live downstream of the dam, and many large and important cities like Wuhan, Nanjing and Shanghai lie next to the river. ( is the capital of Hubei province and is the most populous city in central People's Republic of China. ( Chinese: 南京 Romanizations Nánjīng ( Pinyin) Nan-ching ( Wade-Giles Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million Plenty of farm land and the most important industrial area of China are built beside the river.

In 1954 the river flooded 47. 75 million acres (193,000 km²) of land, killing 33,169 people and forcing 18,884,000 people to move. The flood covered Wuhan, a city with 8 million people, for over three months, and the Jingguang Railway was out of service for more than 100 days. ( is the capital of Hubei province and is the most populous city in central People's Republic of China. ^[4]

In the event of a recurrence of the 1954 flood that carried 50 billion m³ of water, the Three Gorges Dam could only divert the water above Chenglingji, leaving 30 to 40 billion m³ of flood water to be diverted. ^[34] Also the dam will not protect the large tributaries such as the Xiangjiang, Zishui, Yuanshui, Lishui, Hanjiang, and Ganjiang from flooding,due to the location of the dam.

In 1998 a flood in the same area caused billions of dollars in damage. The Chinese government asked for support from its military to fight the flooding. Two thousand and thirty-nine square kilometers of farm land was flooded. The flood affected more than 2. 3 million people, and 1,526 were killed. ^[35]

The reservoir's flood storage capacity is 22 cubic kilometers (18 million acre feet). An acre-foot is a unit of Volume commonly used in the United States in reference to large-scale water resources such as reservoirs, Aqueducts This capacity will reduce the frequency of major downstream flooding from once every 10 years to once every 100 years. A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land a deluge With the dam, it is expected that major floods can be controlled. If a "super" flood comes, the dam is expected to minimize its effect. ^[4]

Navigation

Ship locks for river traffic to bypass the Three Gorges Dam, May 2004

The installation of ship locks is intended to increase river shipping from 10 million to 100 million tonnes annually^[36][37], with transportation costs cut by 30 to 37%. A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal Waterways. A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal Waterways. This article is about the tonne or metric ton For other tons see Ton. Shipping will become safer, since the gorges are notoriously dangerous to navigate. Each of the two ship locks is made up of 5 stages taking around 4 hours in total to complete and have a capacity of 10,000 tons. ^[38] Critics argue, however, that heavy siltation will clog ports such as Chongqing within a few years based on the evidence from other dam projects. Chongqing ( Postal map spelling: Chungking; Wade-Giles: Ch'ung-ch'ing) is the largest and most populous of the People's Republic of China

The locks are designed to be 280 m long, 35 m wide, and 5 m deep (918 x 114 x 16. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International 4 ft). A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit ^[39][40] That is 30 m longer than those on the St Lawrence Seaway, but half as deep. The St Lawrence Seaway is the common name for a system of Canals that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes Before the dam was constructed, the maximum freight capacity of the river at the Three Gorges site is 18. 0 million tonnes per year. From year 2004 to 2007, there were total of 198 million tonnes of freight passed through the Three Gorges Dam ship locks. The freight capacity of the river increased 6 times and the cost of shipping reduced by 25%, comparing to the previous years. The total capacity of the ship locks is expected to reach 100 million tonnes. ^[41]

In addition to the canal locks, the Three Gorges Dam will be equipped with a ship lift, a kind of elevator for vessels. A boat lift, ship lift, or lift lock is a machine for transporting boats between water at two different elevations and is an alternative to the Canal lock ^[42] The ship lift will be capable of lifting ships of up to 3,000 tons. ^[43][44][45] In the original plan its capacity was to be 10,000  The ship lift was not yet complete when the rest of the project was officially opened on May 20, 2006. Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[46][47] Construction of the ship lift started in October 2007 and will be completed in the year 2014. ^[48]

Relocation of local residents

The relocation of local residents is the central part of the Three Gorges Dam Project. It is considered as important as the construction of the dam. During the planning stages in the 1990s it was estimated that 1. 13 million residents would be forced to relocate; new developments have doubled that number to 2. 3 million. ^[49] That estimate has been increased and as of 13 October 2007, 1,400,000 citizens have been displaced, which is about 1. Events 54 - Nero ascends to the Roman throne 409 - Vandals and Alans crossed the Pyrenees Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. 5% of the total population of Hubei Province (60. ( Postal map spelling: Hupeh) is a central province of the People's Republic of China. 3 million) and Chongqing City (31. Chongqing ( Postal map spelling: Chungking; Wade-Giles: Ch'ung-ch'ing) is the largest and most populous of the People's Republic of China 44 million) where the reservoir is located. ^[50] About 140,000 residents will be relocated out of Hubei province to eastern provinces and some central provinces, and the majority of the remaining people will be relocated within Hubei Province. ( Postal map spelling: Hupeh) is a central province of the People's Republic of China. ^[51]

On October 11, 2007 Chinese state media announced that under a development plan of Chongqing city, an additional 4 million people will be encouraged to move from their homes near the dam to the Chongqing metropolitan area by the year 2020. Events 1138 - A massive earthquake struck Aleppo, Syria. 1531 - Huldrych Zwingli is killed Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Chongqing ( Postal map spelling: Chungking; Wade-Giles: Ch'ung-ch'ing) is the largest and most populous of the People's Republic of China Chongqing ( Postal map spelling: Chungking; Wade-Giles: Ch'ung-ch'ing) is the largest and most populous of the People's Republic of China ^[52][53][54]

On one hand, the massive relocation demonstrates the Chinese government's determination and will to complete the huge project. On the other hand, there have been accusations that corruption in the government has kept residents from getting proper assistance. For instance, millions in tax money sent to the town of Gaoyang for the purpose of relocation 13,000 farmers disappeared after it was sent to the local government, and residents were denied compensation. ^[55]

Criticism

Environmental impact

Main article: Environmental issues with the Three Gorges Dam

Of the 3,000 to 4,000 remaining critically endangered Siberian Crane, a large number currently spend the winter in wetlands that will be destroyed by the Three Gorges Dam. Environmental issues with the Three Gorges Dam, which is currently under construction on Yangtze River, include degraded water quality detriments to wildlife potential Organisms with a conservation status of critically endangered have an extremely high risk of becoming extinct The Siberian Crane, Grus leucogeranus, also known as the Siberian White Crane or the Snow Crane, is a Bird of the family Gruidae The dam also contributed to the functional extinction of the Baiji, the Yangtze river dolphin. The ( ( Lipotes vexillifer, Lipotes meaning "left behind" In addition, populations of the Yangtze sturgeon are guaranteed to be "negatively affected" by the dam. UserPolbot. --> Dabry's sturgeon or Yangtze sturgeon ( Acipenser dabryanus) is a species of Fish There are high levels of pollution currently in the Yangtze. Over one billion tons of wastewater are released annually into the river. ^[56] The dam will significantly decrease the river's flushing capacity and the pollution ratings will increase. For the current amount of pollution, there is an estimated cost of 2. 8 billion Yuan to clean the river.

While logging in the area was required for constructionwhich adds to erosion, stopping the periodic and uncontrolled flooding of the river will lessen bank erosion in the long run. The build up of silt in the reservoir will, however, reduce the amount of silt transported by the Yangtze River to the Yangtze Delta and could reduce the effectiveness of the dam for electricity generation and, perhaps more importantly, the lack of silt deposited in the peninsula could result in erosion and sinking of coastal areas.

Effect on local culture and aesthetic values

The 600 kilometer (375 mi) long reservoir has or will flood some 1,300 archaeological sites and alter the appearance of the Three Gorges as the water level rises over one hundred meters at various locations. ^[57] Cultural and historical relics are being moved to higher ground as they are discovered but the flooding of the Gorge will undoubtedly cover some undiscovered relics. Some other sites cannot be moved because of their location, size or design. For example the hanging coffins site high in the Shen Nong Gorge is inherently part of the sheer cliffs themselves. Hanging coffins are Coffins which have been placed on cliffs They can be found in various locations including China (where they are known as 悬棺 or 懸棺 and Shen Nong Stream is a Tributary of the Yangtze River, located in the Hubei Province of central China. ^[58]

These historical sites contain remnants of the homeland of the Ba, an ancient people who settled in the region more than 3000 years ago. Ba (巴 was an ancient state in eastern Sichuan, China. Its original capital was Zhi ( Fuling) Chongqing. ^[59] One of the traditions of the Ba was to bury the dead in coffins in caves high on the cliff, some of which are submerged and others will soon be submerged. ^[58]

Sedimentation

There are two hazards uniquely identified with the dam. One is that sedimentation projections are not agreed upon, and the other is that the dam sits on a seismic fault. ^[60]

The Three Gorges area currently has 10% forestation, down from 20% in the 1950s. The Three Gorges ( Gorgesogg|listen now}} region is a scenic area along the Yangtze River in the People's Republic of China with a total At current levels 80% of the land in the area is experiencing erosion causing about 40 million tons of sediment to slide into the Yangtze annually. ^[61] The relocation of people from the reservoir area will cause further deforestation and erosion due to agricultural needs.

Excessive sedimentation can block the sluice gates which can cause dam failure under some conditions. This was a contributing cause of the Banqiao Dam failure in 1975 that precipitated the failure of 61 other dams and resulted in over 20,000 deaths. The Banqiao Reservoir Dam ( and Shimantan Reservoir Dam ( are among 62 Dams in Zhumadian Prefecture of China 's Henan Province that Critics believe that the Yangtze will add 530 million tons of silt into the reservoir on average per year; in time, this silt could accumulate behind the walls of the dam, clogging the turbines' entranceway. Silt is Soil or rock derived Granular material of a Grain size between sand and clay A turbine is a rotary Engine that extracts Energy from a Fluid flow Further, the absence of silt down stream would have two dramatic effects:

• Some hydrologists think that this could make downstream riverbanks more vulnerable to flooding.
• The city of Shanghai, more than one thousand miles (1600 km) away from the dam, rests on a massive plain of sediment. Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million Sediment is any particulate matter that can be transported by fluid flow and which eventually is deposited as a layer of solid particles on the bed or bottom of a body of The "arriving silt -- so long as it does arrive -- strengthens the bed on which Shanghai is built. . . the less the tonnage of arriving sediment the more vulnerable is this biggest of Chinese cities to inundation. . . "^[62]

The Benthic sediment build up is a cause of biological damage and reduction in aquatic biodiversity. Biodiversity is the variation of Life forms within a given Ecosystem, Biome or for the entire Earth. ^[63]

Induced seismicity

Also, the weight of the dam and reservoir can cause induced seismicity, which occurred, for example, with the Katse Dam in Lesotho^[64] and the Boulder Dam in the United States^[65]. In Seismology, induced seismicity has two meanings intentional and unintentional The Katse Dam, part of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project --Africa's largest dam project eventually to include 5 large dams in remote rural areas--is a Concrete Lesotho (lɪˈsuːtuː) officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a Landlocked country and Enclave — entirely surrounded by the Republic of South Hoover Dam, also sometimes known as Boulder Dam, is a Concrete Arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The dam is already considered a possible cause of quakes in the area, just as the Zipingpu Dam is a suspect in the May 12, 2008 Sichuan earthquake. The 2008 Sichuan earthquake ( or " Great Sichuan Earthquake " which measured at 8 ^[66][67]

National Security Concerns

In an annual report to the United States Congress, the Department of Defense cited that in Taiwan, “proponents of strikes against the mainland apparently hope that merely presenting credible threats to China’s urban population or high-value targets, such as the Three Gorges Dam, will deter Chinese military coercion. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses The United States Department of Defense ( DOD or DoD) is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government ”^[68]

The notion that the Military of the Republic of China would seek to destroy the Dam provoked an angry response from the mainland China media. The Republic of China (ROC (commonly known as Taiwan maintains a large and technologically advanced military establishment which accounted for Mainland China, Continental China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term synonymous with the area that is under the jurisdiction People’s Liberation Army General Liu Yuan was quoted in the China Youth Daily saying that the People’s Republic of China would be "seriously on guard against threats from Taiwan independence terrorists". The People's Liberation Army ( PLA) ( is the unified Military organization of all land sea and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The China Youth Daily ( Chinese:中国青年报 Pinyin:Zhōngguó Qīngnián Bào) is a popular official daily Newspaper and the first independently Taiwan independence ( Pe̍h-oē-jī: Tâi-oân To̍k-li̍p ūn-tōng abbreviated to 台獨 Táidú Tâi-to̍k is a ^[69]

Contentious Beliefs about the Three Gorges Dam Project

• “The dam can generate up to 18. 6 GW of power. ” This is an out of date number. Since there were 8 more generators(6 in the underground power plant, 2 in the power station for the dam) added after the project started, the project will be able to generate about 22. 5 GW of electrical power. See also “Power generation”
• “More than 4 million people have to be relocated due to the dam. ” The original estimation of the number of people need to be relocated is 1. 14 million. However, since the project covers a time span of 2 decades, the number is increasing. The final number won’t come out until the end of 2008, when the water level will rise to the designed highest level 175m. On October 11, 2007 Chinese state media announced that under a development plan of Chongqing city, an additional 4 million people will be encouraged to move from their homes near the dam to the Chongqing metropolitan area by the year 2020. Events 1138 - A massive earthquake struck Aleppo, Syria. 1531 - Huldrych Zwingli is killed Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. See also "Relocation of local residents".
• “Scientists even claim that the weight of the water from the reservoir will be so heavy it will tilt the earth on its rotational axis by a slight degree. ” ^[70] By the physics law of conservation of momentum any movement on earth involving a redistribution of mass will change the movement of the planet by a slight degree. In Classical mechanics, momentum ( pl momenta SI unit kg · m/s, or equivalently N · s) is the product So theoretically, the Three Gorges Dam reservoir will change the earth’s rotational axis, but only by a slight degree that is undetectable by human beings.
• “The Three Gorges Dam creates the largest human made reservoir on the earth. ” Although the Three Gorges Dam project is one of the largest dams in the world, its reservoir is much smaller than dams of similar scale. For example, the Itaipu dam, flooded 1350 square kilometres of land and the Tucurui dam, flooded 2,430 square kilometres of land. Itaipu ( Guarani: Itaipu, Portuguese: Itaipu, Spanish: Itaipú; itaiˈpu is a hydroelectric dam on Tucuruí ( Guarani: Tucuruí, Portuguese: Tucuruí, is an hydroelectric dam on the Tocantins River located on the Tucuruí Whereas the Three Gorges Dam only flooded 632 square kilometers of land. ^[71] See also "Scale of the project"
• “The Three Gorges Dam can supply 10% of China’s electricity demand. ” When the dam was planned in late 1980s and early 1990s it was expected to provide 10% of electricity consumption in China. However, China’s demand for electricity has increased at a higher rate than was planned, and if fully operational now, it would support about 3% of the total electricity consumption in China. According to World Energy Outlook 2007 ^[72]by International Energy Agency, China the electricity demand will rise to 4409TWh by 2015. The International Energy Agency ( IEA, or AIE in Romance languages) is a Paris -based intergovernmental organization founded by the Organisation In other words, by 2015, the fully operational Three Gorges Dam will provide 2. 27% of the China’s total electricity consumption. Between 2004 and 2005 alone, Chinese electricity demand grew be 263Twh^[73], close to thrice the expected annual output from the dam.
• “The Three Gorges Dam caused the Sichuan earthquake. The 2008 Sichuan earthquake ( or " Great Sichuan Earthquake " which measured at 8 ” The increased load on one of the tectonic plates associated with the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in May 2008 did bear the increased load of the dam's earthworks, structure, and the filling reservoir of water. Plate tectonics (from Greek τέκτων tektōn "builder" or "mason" describes the large scale motions of Earth 's Lithosphere The 2008 Sichuan earthquake ( or " Great Sichuan Earthquake " which measured at 8 Other reservoir filling has been noted to cause induced seismicity but a direct correlation to activity of such magnitude as a 7. In Seismology, induced seismicity has two meanings intentional and unintentional 8 quake has not been previously recorded. While the dam may be a small contributing factor to the seismic activity, experts had agreed earlier in the decade that a significant earthquake would occur in the region in the near future, see: Signs and Prediction of 2008 Sichuan earthquake. The 2008 Sichuan earthquake ( or " Great Sichuan Earthquake " which measured at 8 As a worst case scenario the seismic activity was hurried along or strengthened; the dam is not the sole source of the 2008 earthquake. However, engineers for the dam did believe that magnitude 6. 5 to 7. 0 earthquakes would be triggered by the dam.

Future projects upstream

In order to maximize the utility of the Three Gorges Dam and cut down on sedimentation from the Jinsha, a tributary of the Yangtze river, China plans to build a series of dams upstream of the Yangtze river, including Wudongde Dam, Baihetan Dam, Xiluodu Dam, Xiangjiaba Dam, and downstream of Jinsha. Wudongde Dam is a large Dam project on the Jisha River, a tributary of the Yangtze River in Sichuan and Yunnan Province, in southwest Baihetan Dam is a large dam under construction on the Jisha River, a tributary of the Yangtze River in Sichuan and Yunnan Province Southwest The Xiluodu Dam is a Hydroelectric dam project on the Jinsha River, a tributary of the Yangtze River in China. Xiangjiaba Dam is a large dam on the Jinsha Rivera tributary of the Yangtze River in Yunnan Province and Sichuan Province Southwest of China The total capacity of those four dams is 38,500 MW,^[74] almost double the capacity of the Three Gorges. ^[75] There are also another eight dams in the midstream of the Jinsha and eight more upstream of it. ^[76]

Fictional appearances

• In Max Brooks’ novel World War Z, the large artificial lake upstream of the dam is the site of the initial zombie outbreak before the war; a superstitious character suggests that the outbreak is a retribution for the destruction of ancient holy sites. Max Brooks (born Maximillian Michael Brooks on May 22, 1972 in New York City) is an author and screenwriter World War Z An Oral History of the Zombie War (abbreviated WWZ) is a Novel by Max Brooks which chronicles a fictional Zombie zombie is a reanimated human corpse Stories of zombies originated in the Afro-Caribbean spiritual belief system of Vodou, which told of the people being controlled Later in the novel, the Dam is overrun by zombie hordes, which make the emergency pressure release valves impossible to reach. This eventually results in the Three Gorges Dam rupturing, resulting in a massive tsunami which races to the ocean, destroying what remains of Wuhan, Nanjing, and Shanghai. This results in the outbreak of the Chinese Civil War. ^[77][4]
• In the novel Dragon Bones by Lisa See, a murder investigation takes place at the Three Gorges Dam. Lisa See is a Chinese American writer and novelist One-eighth Chinese the Chinese side of her family has had a great impact on her life and work. ^[78]
• In the video game Civilization IV the dam is a World Wonder, providing power to the entire continent. Sid Meier's Civilization IV ( Civilization 4 or Civ4) is a Turn-based strategy computer game released in ^[4]
• In the video game Command & Conquer: Generals, the dam is blown up by both the Chinese government and a terrorist organization under plot lines. Command & Conquer Generals is a Real-time strategy game in the Command & Conquer series. (It is first blown up by the Chinese as a desperate effort to drown the terrorists with the water behind the dam, while the terrorists blow up a rebuilt dam to flood the Chinese. ) The series is banned in China. ^[4]
• Jia Zhangke’s film, Still Life, describes the destiny of two couples with connections to the dam. Jia Zhangke ( (born 1970 in Fenyang, China is a Chinese Film director. Still Life ( is a 2006 Chinese film directed by Jia Zhangke. Shot in the old village of Fengjie, a small town on the Yangtze ^[4]

Photo Gallery

Construction of main dam including cranes	Nearly completed Three Gorges Dam, downstream side	Downstream side at night	Upstream side before filling
Locks under construction (view from above)	Inside a lock of the Three Gorges Dam

Model of dam:

Spillway view

Ship locks

South dam

See also

• Hydropower
• Hydroelectricity
• List of reservoirs and dams
• List of the largest hydoelectric power stations
• Category:Hydroelectric power plants by country

References

External links

• Chinese government press release
• 中国长江三峡开发总公司
• China Digital Times' coverage on Three Gorges Dam
• International Rivers informative page on the Three Gorges Project.
• BBC News Online - Troops to protect dam against terrorists - 14 September 2004. Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "
• BBC News Online - Dam wall completed - 20 May 2006. Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
• BBC News Online - In pictures: Three Gorges Dam - 20 May 2006. Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
• chinadialogue 中国与世界，环境危机大家谈 - article about the politics of water in China
• Three Gorges Dam Information
• Up the Yangtze - a documentary film about the impact of the Three Gorges Dam project
• "Three Gorges dam's social impact" by Jill McGivering, BBC News, May 20, 2006, retrieved May 20, 2006
• " As China's mega dam rises, so do strains and fear", Reuters November 14, 2007. Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1533 - Conquistadors from Spain under the leadership of Francisco Pizarro arrive in Cajamarca, Inca Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
• Jim Yardley. James Barrett Yardley (born June 18, 1964 in New York City) is a Pulitzer Prize -winning journalist currently working in the Beijing "Chinese Dam Projects Criticized for Their Human Costs", New York Times, 2007-11-21. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem. Retrieved on 2007-12-09. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 536 - Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city  
• Jim Yardley. James Barrett Yardley (born June 18, 1964 in New York City) is a Pulitzer Prize -winning journalist currently working in the Beijing "China to Address Issues Around Dam", New York Times, 2007-11-22. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Retrieved on 2007-12-09. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 536 - Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city  
• Anderlini, Jamil (2007-10-31). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Sold down the river. Financial Times. The Financial Times ( FT) is a British international business Newspaper. Retrieved on 2008-01-20. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome.
• Three Gorges Probe (2008-03-18). 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius ' will and proclaims Caligula emperor THREE GORGES ORAL HISTORY SERIES: Absence of Justice: Lu Chengming's Struggle for Compensation.