Channel degradation in the Yangtze River after the impoundment of the Three Gorges Project

The impoundment of the Three Georges Project (TGP) caused a major decrease in the sediment load downstream from the dam, and this inevitably resulted in channel degradation, which has important implications for flood control, navigation conditions and aquatic ecology in the whole river basin. Based on analysis of field data and mathematical modelling, estimates of the reduction in sediment load and the resulting channel degradation in the Yangtze River downstream from the dam are reported in this contribution. Comparison of the results of the current study with those of previous studies and with field data demonstrates that the model prediction of channel degradation in the Yangtze River after the impoundment of the TGP obtained in the current study conform more closely with the field data than previous predictions.