Implications of flow control by the Three Gorges Dam on sediment and channel dynamics of the middle Yangtze (Changjiang) River, China

Research Article| November 01, 2010 Implications of flow control by the Three Gorges Dam on sediment and channel dynamics of the middle Yangtze (Changjiang) River, China Zhongyuan Chen; Zhongyuan Chen 1State Key Laboratory for Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Zhanghua Wang; Zhanghua Wang 1State Key Laboratory for Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Brian Finlayson; Brian Finlayson 2Department of Resource Management and Geography, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Jing Chen; Jing Chen 1State Key Laboratory for Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Daowei Yin Daowei Yin 1State Key Laboratory for Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Zhongyuan Chen 1State Key Laboratory for Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China Zhanghua Wang 1State Key Laboratory for Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China Brian Finlayson 2Department of Resource Management and Geography, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia Jing Chen 1State Key Laboratory for Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China Daowei Yin 1State Key Laboratory for Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 31 Mar 2010 Revision Received: 17 Jun 2010 Accepted: 24 Jun 2010 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 © 2010 Geological Society of America Geology (2010) 38 (11): 1043–1046. https://doi.org/10.1130/G31271.1 Article history Received: 31 Mar 2010 Revision Received: 17 Jun 2010 Accepted: 24 Jun 2010 First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Zhongyuan Chen, Zhanghua Wang, Brian Finlayson, Jing Chen, Daowei Yin; Implications of flow control by the Three Gorges Dam on sediment and channel dynamics of the middle Yangtze (Changjiang) River, China. Geology 2010;; 38 (11): 1043–1046. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G31271.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract The impacts of a dam on the river downstream in terms of hydrology and morphology are determined by a complex mix of variables that includes the patterns of release of water through the dam and the characteristics of the downstream channel. Scour of the downstream channel is a common response because large dams cause a significant interruption to sediment continuity. Here we show that in the case of China's Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River the outcome is complicated, as is commonly the case in large rivers. The downstream channel and floodplain system compose an area of long-term sediment accumulation and unstable channels with seasonally contrasting erosion and deposition patterns related to the migrating seasonal monsoon rainfall zones. In achieving one of the main purposes of this dam, that of flood control in the middle and lower basins, the pattern of flows released from the dam will closely resemble those seasonal flows that are responsible for channel instability in the middle catchment, thus effectively making erosive conditions the most common during a year. There is obviously concern about the ultimate impact of sediment storage in the dam on the dynamics of the delta and adjacent coast, and we show that this depends on the trajectory and duration of the erosive responses in the middle Yangtze basin. In this particular case, the outcome is of great significance to the well being of the densely populated riparian areas of the river. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.