PREDICTIONS TO BE TESTED: HOW THE THREE GORGES RESERVOIR WOULD CHANGE THE DOWNSTREAM FLUVIAL PROCESSES

摘要

A brief review of researches is presented on the impact of the impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir, began in June 2003. The impoundment leads to significant reduction of sediment transport in the downstream alluvial channel of the Yangtze River, and provides a unique opportunity to test the previous theoretical analysis and numerical predictions concerning the pattern change of the lower Jingjiang River, which is the most vulnerable section endangered by Yangtze River flood. Close monitoring of the channel pattern change in the next few decades is necessary to understand the processes and to serve as a means of early warning , in case a potentially disastrous situation does build up.