Effects of the dispatch modes of the Three Gorges Reservoir on the water regimes in the Dongting Lake area in typical years

Ou, Chaomin; Li, Jingbao; Zhang, Zhaoqing; Li, Xichun; Yu, Ge; Liao, Xiaofeng

doi:10.1007/s11442-012-0949-7

Cited by 42 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…We have shown that the dominant driver of the recent Yangtze lake dynamics stems from climate variation; however, human water regulation and consumption exert persistent impacts on lake inundation, and thus remain important factors to lake management and conservation. Starting in the fall of 2008, the TGR attempted the final pilot impoundment and eventually reached its designed ultimate water level (175 m asl) in October 2010 [ China Three Gorges Construction Yearbook Commission , 2011; Ou et al ., ; Wang et al ., ]. The downstream Yangtze regime has since been regulated under TGD's full‐capacity water dispatch scheme.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…This decadal decline occurred concurrently with (i) serial meteorological droughts in the Yangtze hydrological basin [ Feng et al ., , ; Liu et al ., ; Qiu , ; Wang et al ., ; Z. X. Zhang et al ., ; Z. Z. Zhang et al ., ], (ii) increasing water withdrawal and consumption driven by China's rapid economic expansion [ Changjiang Water Resources Commission , ; Wada et al ., ; Yang et al ., ], and (iii) the initial and yearly intensifying upstream water/flow regulation at the TGD [ China Three Gorges Construction Yearbook Commission , ; Ou et al ., ; Wang et al ., ]. Despite a positive precipitation anomaly in 2010, the decreasing trend in lake area is significant in all seasons, with the most substantial decrease in fall (1.2–1.4% yr −1 ) which coincides with the TGD water storage season.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The recent decadal lake decline in China's Yangtze Plain is a major result of climate variability, instead of direct human interventions The Three Gorges Dam (TGD) causes no major change in downstream climate given limited impacts on lake area and thus open water evaporation Impacts of human water consumption and Yangtze channel erosion are comparable to that of TGD flow regulation and may continue to grow [Changjiang Water Resources Commission, 2000Wada et al, 2013;Yang et al, 2015], and (iii) the initial and yearly intensifying upstream water/flow regulation at the TGD [China Three Gorges Construction Yearbook Commission, 2011;Ou et al, 2012;Wang et al, 2013]. Despite a positive precipitation anomaly in 2010, the decreasing trend in lake area is significant in all seasons, with the most substantial decrease in fall (1.2-1.4% yr 21 ) which coincides with the TGD water storage season.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Little impact of the Three Gorges Dam on recent decadal lake decline across China's Yangtze Plain

Wang

Sheng

Wada

2017

Water Resources Research

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The ubiquitous lakes across China's Yangtze Plain (YP) are indispensable freshwater resources sustaining ecosystems and socioeconomics for nearly half a billion people. Our recent survey revealed a widespread net decline in the total YP lake inundation area during 2000–2011 (a cumulative decrease of ∼10%), yet its mechanism remained contentious. Here we uncover the impacts of climate variability and anthropogenic activities including (i) Yangtze flow and sediment alterations by the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) and (ii) human water consumption in agricultural, industrial, and domestic sectors throughout the downstream Yangtze Basin. Results suggest that climate variability is the dominant driver of this decadal lake decline, whereas studied human activities, despite varying seasonal impacts that peak in fall, contribute marginal fraction (∼10–20% or less) to the interannual lake area decrease. Given that the TGD impacts on the total YP lake area and its seasonal variation are both under ∼5%, we also dismiss the speculation that the TGD might be responsible for evident downstream climate change by altering lake surface extent and thus open water evaporation. Nevertheless, anthropogenic impacts exhibited a strengthening trend during the past decade. Although the TGD has reached its full‐capacity water regulation, the negative impacts of human water consumption and TGD‐induced net channel erosion, which are already comparable to that of TGD's flow regulation, may continue to grow as crucial anthropogenic factors to future YP lake conservation.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Little impact of the Three Gorges Dam on recent decadal lake decline across China's Yangtze Plain

Wang

Sheng

Wada

2017

Water Resources Research

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“…The water storage capacity of TGR is 3.93 × 10 10 m 3 (Fu et al, ), which is equal to the total volume of China's four largest freshwater lakes (Poyang Lake, Dongting Lake, Taihu Lake, and Cao Lake). Four stages of water regulation have gradually entered operation: (a) The initial stage started in June 2003, and the reservoir water level increased to 135 m; (b) the transitional stage began in October 2006, and the water level increased to 156 m; (c) the quasinormal stage started in November 2008, and the water level increased to 173 m; and (d) the normal stage started in October 2010, and the water level increased to 175 m (Ou et al, ; Jida, Yongwei, Colin, & Yoshihide, ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial and temporal patterns of stable water isotopes along the Yangtze River during two drought years

Song

et al. 2017

Hydrological Processes

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Changes in the level of the Yangtze River caused by anthropogenic water regulation have major effects on the hydrological processes and water cycle in surrounding lakes and rivers. In this study, we obtained isotopic evidence of changes in the water cycle of Yangtze River during the two drought years of 2006 and 2013. Isotopic evidence demonstrated that the δ18O and δD levels in Yangtze River exhibited high spatial heterogeneity from the upper to lower reaches, which were controlled by atmospheric precipitation, tributary/lake water mixing, damming regulation, and water temperature. Both the slope and intercept of Yangtze River evaporative line (δD = 7.88 δ18O + 7.96) were slightly higher than those of local meteoric water line of Yangtze River catchment (δD = 7.41 δ18O + 6.01). Most of the river isotopic values were located below the local meteoric water line, thereby implying that the Yangtze River water experienced a certain degree of evaporative enrichment on isotopic compositions of river water. The high fluctuations in the isotopic composition (e.g., deuterium excess [d‐excess]) in the middle to lower reaches during the initial stage of operation for the Three Gorges Dams (2003–2006) were due to heterogeneous isotopic signatures from the upstream water. In contrast to the normal stage (after 2010) characterized by the maximum water level and largest water storage, a relatively small variability in the deuterium excess was found along the middle to lower reaches because of the homogenization of reservoir water with a longer residence time and complete mixing. The effects of water from lakes and tributaries on the isotopic compositions in mainstream water were highlighted because of the high contributions of lakes water (e.g., Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake) efflux to the Yangtze River mainstream, which ranged from 21% to 85% during 2006 and 2013. These findings suggest that the retention and regulation of the Three Gorges Dams has greatly buffered the isotopic variability of the water cycle in the Yangtze catchment, thereby improving our understanding of the complex lake–river interactions along the middle to lower reaches in the future.

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“…The dam has a total storage capacity of 39.3 billion m 3 , approximately 4.5% of the Yangtze River's annual discharge. The dispatch modes for the TGD are as follows: (1) pre-discharge dispatch, water release in late May-early June to empty the flood control capacity; (2) flood-control dispatch, flow regulation in July-August; (3) water-storage dispatch, water impounding in mid-September-October for electricity generation and water supply in winter; and (4) water-supplement dispatch, water release in December-April [35]. The Yichang, Hankou and Datong station controls the discharge of the upper, middle and lower reach, respectively.…”

Section: Study Region and Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Hydrologic Alterations Caused by the Three Gorges Dam in the Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtze River, China

Liuzhi

Ban

Wang

et al. 2014

Water

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Hydrologic regime plays a major role in structuring biotic diversity within river ecosystems by controlling key habitat conditions within the river channel and floodplain. Daily flow records from seven hydrological stations and the range of variability approach were utilized to investigate the variability and spatial pattern of the hydrologic alterations induced by the construction of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China. Results show that the impoundment of the TGD disturbed the hydrologic regime downstream and directly affected the streamflow variations. The rate of changes and the annual extreme conditions were more affected by the TGD, particularly the low-flow relevant parameters. The alterations in the hydrologic regime were mainly caused by the TGD storing water during early autumn and releasing water during winter and spring. The effects on spatial patterns decreased as the distance from the dam increased, which was mainly attributed to the inflows from large tributaries along the Yangtze River as well as the interaction with the two largest natural lakes (i.e., Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake). These hydrologic alterations not only break the natural balance of eco-flow regimes but also result in undesirable ecological effects, particularly in terms of habitat availability for the fish community.

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Effects of the dispatch modes of the Three Gorges Reservoir on the water regimes in the Dongting Lake area in typical years

Cited by 42 publications

References 2 publications

Little impact of the Three Gorges Dam on recent decadal lake decline across China's Yangtze Plain

Little impact of the Three Gorges Dam on recent decadal lake decline across China's Yangtze Plain

Spatial and temporal patterns of stable water isotopes along the Yangtze River during two drought years

Assessment of Hydrologic Alterations Caused by the Three Gorges Dam in the Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtze River, China

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