The Great Gorges Dam from the Observation Area
The Great Gorges Dam from the Observation Area
Stop 3 - The Three Gorges Dam "The Great Wall Across the Yangtze"
Focus
Question:
What are the main reasons for building the Three Gorges Dam and what
affect is it likely to have on the Chinese?
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Geography: The Three Gorges Dam is located on the Yangtze River, North of Yichang and South of the Three Gorges.
Three Gorges Dam Google Earth Map
Three Gorges Dam Model
History: The Three Gorges Dam was originally proposed by Dr. Sun Yat-sen in 1919. After that, the Kuomintang, then the Communist government under Mao Zedong all proposed the idea. The reason for this ongoing interest is three-pronged. First, the Yangtze had some very rough rapids and fast flowing waters that made it very difficult for ships to transport goods for trading up and down the river. Second, the Yangtze River would flood and cause massive damage to the towns and people down river. In fact, in 1998 (one year before the construction of the dam began) nearly 250 million people were displaced due to massive flooding [Article]. In the past 2,000 years, the Yangtze has caused 215 major floods. Many Chinese have died in the Yangtze's history. Third, the dam could provide clean hydroelectric power to the ever-growing China.
Looking at the entrance to the locks
Looking down on the locks (ships within waiting for locks
to fill)
Inside the first lock, into the second
Exiting final lock, looking down river at the dam
From the observation area - the spillway
Spillway pulleys and electric lines
 |
The top diagram is looking down on the locks. The bottom diagram is looking at a lock from the side. The front door opens and the ship moves in. Then the door closes, seals, and the pool between the doors fills up, lifting the ship. Once the level of the next door is reached, it opens and the ship moves in to repeat the process all over again. The Three Gorges Dam has three locks that eventually lift each ship to the height of the dammed up river. |
The Facts:
The Three Gorges Dam is three times the size of the Hoover Dam in the U.S.
It is 1.3 miles long from bank to bank and 610 feet high.
Damming up the river has created a
reservoir about 350 miles long up river to the city of Chongqing (nearly 1/2 the
length of California).
Map of Flooded Area
The dam will produce as much electricity as 15 nuclear power plants through its 26 turbines. (Amazingly, the it will only provide about 3% of China's power overall)
The river's water level will rise 175
meters above sea level. Originally it was 65 meters.
Level Markers on the Bank of the Yangtze (Top one is where the river will
be at upon completion of the dam)
Officially, the dam is to cost $22.5 billion dollars to make, but other estimates are as high as $75 billion.
The Controversy:
Due the elevated water levels, about 1,300 archeological sites will be submerged and lost under water. These include the famous hanging Ba coffins.
It is estimated that about 1.5 million people will have been relocated upon completion. "When the dam is completed, 13 cities, 140 towns and over 1,300 villages will be submerged by the Three Gorges Reservoir." [PBS]
About 700 million tons of sediment flow down the Yangtze River annually. Experts believe that much of this will collect at the dam site.
"Over 360 million people live within the watershed of the Yangtze River. If the one in one thousand chance of a dam collapse occurred, the millions of people who live downstream would be endangered." [PBS]
"Over 265 billion gallons of raw sewage are dumped into the Yangtze annually. Currently the river flushes this downstream and out into the ocean. Upon completion of the Three Gorges project, the sewage will back up in the reservoir." [PBS]
Already, experts have found cracks in the dam. (Article)
Photo Galleries:
Three Gorges Dam
Websites for More
Information:
CNN In-Depth Special: China's Three Gorges Dam (1999 - Includes a short
video clip)
BBC Video Clip of
Three Gorges Dam