'Man-Made Yangtze River' to be Dammed in Late 2002

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, February 08, 2002

'Man-Made Yangtze River' to be Dammed in Late 2002

The open-cut water channel which was used for carrying vessels after the Yangtze River was dammed in 1997 for the Three Gorges Project will be blocked off later this year, sources said at a meeting held Thursday in Yichang.

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The 3,700-meter long and 350-meter wide water channel, which is known as "the Man-made Yangtze" and opened to vessels in October 1997, is to be dammed in November 2002 to enable the construction of a 900-meter long dam and workshops on the south shore of the world largest power station

The 1,600-meter long dam and workshops on the north-shore powerstation were built in 1997 in an area encircled by two blockage cofferdams.

Wang Jiazhu, a Three Gorges expert, said that the plan is to block off 1000-cubic-meters of river water per second and the damming falls amounting to four meters. This is bigger than the 1997 blockage, posing big technical challenges to professionals.

The slippery surface of the concrete on the bottom of the water channel will make it very difficult for anything to take root in the channel.

Sources say that different blockage models have been designed, various works conducted to prepare for a successful blockage.

Dam Won't Affect Navigation on Yangtze River

The Yangtze River, the world's third longest, is one of China's leading transportation routes. One guarantee made by developers of the Three Gorges Project ensures smooth navigation at the construction site during the six-year second phase (1997-2003).

A water diversion channel opened formerly on October 6. During the next-phase construction through 2003, ships will use the channel to bypass the dam site or use temporary locks now being built on the north bank of the Yangtze.

Engineers said that ships can safely pass through the channel except for peak water flow seasons. When the water flows faster than 25,000 cubic meters per second, it could be difficult for large ships to use the channel. The maximum flow for smaller ships is between 10,000 and 15,000 cubic meters per second.

The first dammingwas finished in November 1997. Under the protection of the cofferdam, the construction of the second phase of the dam project and the factory buildings has been completed.

The second dammingwill be made over a diversion channel, a "manmade Yangtze River". The diversion channel is 3.7 kilometers in length and 350 meters in width. Opened to navigation in October 1997, it takes up the task of diversion and navigation between 1997 and 2002. After the damming of the diversion channel, the diversion and navigation will be taken over by the diversion system and the permanent locks.

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