The demonstration, decision process and practice of Three Gorges Project

The demonstration, decision process and practiceof Three Gorges ProjectPan Jiazheng(State Grid Corporation of China, Beijing 100761 ,China)Abstract :The world-famous Three Gorges Project (TGP) is the largest hydropower station in the world and the largestwater resources and hydropower project constructed in China. The impoundment of Three Gorges Reservoir reached thedesign water level of 175 m for the first time on October 26 , 2010, which indicated that the project had met design tequirements of various functionalties of flood control, power generation and navigation. To complete the project it tooknearly 100 years for conception, demonstration, design and construction of the TGP. How was the conception of TGPproposed? What kind of role should it be? What were the diferent opinions? How was the project demonstrated? Whatwas the conclusion of demonstration? Those are the issues that many people care and don't know about. To memorizethe realization of the century dream of Chinese people and to record the history of development of TGP, the author pres-ents a compendious introduction to the project.Key words :Three Gorges Project; demonstration and decision- making processthe survey, design and research of the TGP were car-1 Review of the conception of the TGPried out. It was proposed that the first objective of theThe TGP is regarded as a great dream of ChineseTGP is for flood control. To completely control theengineers and people. Mr. Sun Yat-sen, the pioneer offlood disaster in the mid-lower reaches of Y angtzeChinese democratic revolution, is the first one to haveRiver with the installed capacity of over 30 000 MW,the dream. He proposed the conception of developingover 200 m high dam was envisaged to construct. TheThree Gorges water resources of the Yangtze River inidea received wide suspicion and objection. In Marchhis state development strategy 70 years ago. In 1940s，1958, at the meeting in Chengdu, the Central Govern-Kuomintang Government, together with US Bureau ofment of China adopted the policy of both being positiveReclamation, conducted some survey, design and reand prudent on the design of TGP. According to thesearch work on the TGP. The research was very sim-policy, the reservoir storage level should not exceedple, and the construction planning they presented was200 m. The lower level scheme should be studied, butalmost a daydream under the political, economic andpeople tended to keep the 200 m scheme with the in-technical conditions at that time.stalled capacity of 25 000 MW. However, it was diffi-After the founding of the People' s Republic ocult to construct the reservoir with such large schemeChina (PRC) in 1949, through long and winding ef-due to the difficult situation caused by continuous natu-fort, the dream has gradually become true. In 1950 ,ral disasters in early 1960s and a decade of domesticin order to control flood and develop water resources inturmoil ( the 10-year Cultural Revolution) from 1966 tothe Yangtze River, the Changjiang W ater Resources1976 subsequently. In 1970s, in order to prepare forCommission (later called the Yangtze Valley Planningthe construction of TGP, the component of the TGP,Office, namely the YVPO) was established, and hasthe downstream reverse regulating reservoir Gezhoubabeen engaged in the planning of comprehensive devel-Dam was constructed. There were quite many debatesopment and harnessing of the Yangtze River Basin everand criticism about the project. The large benefts ob-since. The catastrophic flood, occurred in 1954 in thetained from the project show that the Chinese engineersbasin, caused tremendous loss ，which accelerated thehave the ability to construct dams on the Yangtze Riverstudy on the harnessing and development of Yangtzeand have successfully resolved some difficult technicalRiver including TGP. In collaboration with the depart-issues encountered.ments of geology , electricity, transportation and so on,中国煤化工on of Gezhouba Pro-"YHCNM HGReceired 28 July 20112 Engineering Sciencesject and development of national economy， the con-from different departments of the Financial and Economicstruction of the TGP was put on the agenda. Consider-Committee of the National People' s Congress ( NPC),ing the difficulties of large resettlement for the schemethe economie development groups of Chinese People ' sof 200 m, instructed by Ministry of W ater ResourcesPolitical Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Search Cen-and Elctrical Power ( MWREP)，YVPO conductedter of Economic ，Technological and Social Developmentvarious studies on different schemes with lower waterof the State Council， Chinese Academy of Scienceslevels. In 1983, YVPO conducted feasibility study on(CAS), Chinese Acadermy of Social Sciences ( CASS),the scheme of normal pool level of 150 m. The schemeChina Association for Science and Technology ( CAST)，is proposed using installed capacity of 13 000 MW,Ministry of Finance，Ministry of Communications , Minis-with the functionalities of flood control with certaintry of Machinery & Electronics ，Sichuan Province，Hubeiflood storage and improving hundreds of kilometers ofProvince, Economic Development Office of Three Gorgesnavigation channel in the Yangtze River. In AprilArea of the State Council and so on.1984，after reviewed by more than 350 experts andThe specific assessments were conducted by theleaders organized by the National Development and Re-expert panels. For such arrangement， 14 assessmentform Commission， the feasibility study report of thesubjects were specified ，including geological earth-scheme was approved by the State Council. To furtherquakes , layout structures, hydrology ，sediment, eco-improve the flood management capacity and reduceenvironment, construction ，electro-mechanics， invest-downstream flood risk through detention and storage forment evaluation， resettlement， flood control, powerextra-large flood, the scheme was revised by raising thegeneration, navigation, integrated planning and waterdam height by 10 m. At the same time, the prepara-level, and comprehensive economic evaluation. Corre-tion work for construction started. This indicated thatspondingly, 14 expert panels were set up. In additionthe construction of TGP was no longer a dream, butto the experts-team organized by National Developmentwas about to come true.and Reform Commission and State Scientifie and Tech-In September 1984, in order that the ten-thou-nological Commission in 1984，consultants, the teamsand-tonnage fleet could reach the Chongqing Portleaders and other experts were also invited for each ex-directly from downstream of Yangtze River， thepert panel. Considering the professional needs to breakChongqing City Government reported to the State Coun-the departmental boundaries, experts from outside ocil and required to increase the normal pool level of thethe Water Resources Department were invited. CASTTGP to 180 m. Ministry of Communications shared thealso recommended 25 experts. The members of the ex-same view. Therefore， commissioned by the Statepert panel were selected by the consultants and theCouncil, the State Planning Commission and Scienceteam leaders. For instance, for the geological seismicand Technology Commission organized experts to fur-panel, two consultants were from CAS and Ministry ofther review the issue of normal pool level of the TGP.Geology and Mineral Resources, and 5 team leadersDuring the same period, there were many views againstwere from Ministry of Geology and Mineral Resources ，the construction of TGP; even people who supportedCAS，the State Seismological Bureau and thethe construction of the TGP also had great differentMWREP. The team leaders decided the geologists fromopinions on the water level and development methods.relevant department or research institutes should joinThus, in April 1986，the Central Comittee of thethe expert panels and working groups. The 14 expertCommunist Party and the State Council issued the Doc-panels established for the re-assessing of the TGP wereument of No. 15 requiring MWREP to reorganize over-formed by 412 experts from 40 majors, of which thereall reassessment and reproduce feasibility study report.were 15 academicians, and 251 professionals includingprofessors，associate professors ，researchers ，associate2 Organization and process of reassessingresearchers, and senior engineers. Amongst the expertThe directors of MWREP realized that, to accom-panels, there were 213 experts coming from depart-plish the task of re-assessing the design of TGP as re-ments other than water resources and hydropower de-quired by the central govermment, they should rely on thepartments, accounting for 51.7 %. Each expert panelsupervision and guidance from all the social sectors, andwasworking independently and responsible for con-take full consideration of experts' research and analysisstructing中国煤化工ng investigation re-results.searchCNMHGn，holding variousTo follow the supervision and guidance from all theconferend:MYHing, and modifyingsocial sectors, the leading team of the work established aand reporting through the reassessing process. The en-technical committee consisting of 21 experts recommendedlarged conferences of the leading team were responsibleVol.9 No. 3,Sept.2011 3for identifying problem, conveying instructions, stud-1954 and 1998. Chinese hydraulic engineers have beenying policies issued by the central govermment, provi-working hard to find solutions to cope with those cata-ding reassessing requirements， approving work plan ,strophic floods. The TGP now becomes an importantcoordinating between and with each panel, and delib-part of the flood control and management system for theerating re-assessing reports.Yangtze River. However, there are still argumentsTwo steps were taken for the reassessment ofabout TGP functions. Some thought the project was do-TGP. The first step was to determine a water leveling more harm than good. As pointed by study of thescheme that could be accepted by all sides. Due to theexpert panels, the composition for flood is quite com-different requirements of the TGP and opinions on stor-plicated, , and it can be contributed from different areasage level and development methods， comprehensiveof the river, i. e. from the upper area, middle andanalysis and discussions were carried out to determinelower reaches of the Yangtze River or from the main-water level scheme as a representative of TGP reassess-stream or the tributaries. Such complicated flood caning scheme. In April 1987, the 4th Enlarged Confer-not be managed by a single measure or one project. Ience of the leading team approved the preliminarystead, combination of different measures shall be im-scheme with 175 m normal pool level，one-stage devel-plemented，including engineering and non- engineeringopment and completion, step-by-step impoundment,measures. For engineering measures, retention basin,and continuous resettlements. The second step was toreservoir, dikes etc. shall be intergraded. TGP is ancarry out in-depth reassessment of each aspect of theimportant part of the integrated measures. Due to itsselected scheme, develop alternative ( comparative )excellent location and large storage capacity, it can ef-schemes, and compare the advantages and disadvanta-fectively control the runoff of the upper rivers, and di-ges of scenarios without construction, early construc-rectly protect the safety of the Jingjiang Dike at itstion or late construction of the TGP. After the comple-downstream area. So that it would not be necessary totion of reassessment reports provided by 14 expert pan-use the Jingjiang flood-diversion area ( detention baels, the feasibility study report was compiled based onsin) for a flood above 100-year frequency, and thethe conclusions of the reassessment reports.failure of Jingjiang Dike and the devastating disasterThere were some worries of handling over the re-can be avoided for an extra-large flood above 1 000-assessment work to MWREP as they might not be ob-year frequency. Such effect can not be produced byjective. The fact was that expert panels worked inde-other measures, and vice versa. In addition to thatpendently and were responsible for their own conclu-once an extra-large flood happens it will bring people asions. In the experts panels there were over 400 ex-tremendous disaster， even if a flood diversion areaperts who were nationally or intemnationally renowned(i.e. a detention basin) can be used, the conse-scientists. They have strong scientific conscience, andquences will. be very serious, because during the pastrespected the facts and truth. The research conclusionsdecades , many detention basins have become market-were obtained through collective studies.able grain production area and there are hundreds ofthousands of people living in there. In fact, many oppo-3 Functions and benefits of TGPnents of the construction of TGP changed their viewsWhy do so many Chinese hydraulic engineers fas-after visiting the areas of Jingjiang River and Dongtingcinate the TGP? Is it for boosting personal or depart-Lake during the reassessing process of the TGP whenmental prestige or popularity, craving for greatness andthey realized that the TGP would bring huge benefitssuccess at the expense of national interest, or harmingfor flood control of the Yangtze River. As it plays suchfuture generations with fraud and deception? This is ofa signifcant role in flood control, why should we opcourse not true. It is because that the great functionspose the construction of the Three Gorges Reservoir?and benefits provided by TGP are for the urgent needsMeanwhile, TGP is the largest hydropower stationof the economic development and modernization oin the world with installed capacity of 18 200 MW andChina.the annual power generation of 84. 7 billionkW●h. InThe very first idea of developing TGP was for floodaddition to supplying power in the east of Sichuan, thecontrol in themid-lower reaches of Yangtze River.power will be provided for the nearest areas of centralFlood disasters happened frequently over hundreds ofand中国煤化工oped areas where energyyearsin the Yangtze River Basin. The catastrophic .resoCNMHC people in lhee eresfloods of 1860 and 1870 remain in people' s memory un-have:IYHSrtage of electricity andtil today. In the middle of the 20th century, Chinese:oal for decades. The TGP is equivalent to a huge coalpeople suffered great loss from the floods of 1931, 1935 ,mine and an oil field with an annual output of 42 mil-4万碗数掘ng Scienceslion tce of standard coal or 21 million t of crude oil,may occur at a very few places that are far from thenot to mention that water is cheap, clean and inex-dam site, and according to the computation and experi-haustible resource. The current power supply， coalment results of the most unfavorable assumptions, thetransportation and pollution problems have becomelandslide surges will not affect the project safety. Themore serious in the central and east China and morerisk to navigation hindrance for sliding mass into thethermal power construction can only mitigate thesereservoir will be greatly reduced with the widened riverproblems in the next 10 years. Therefore， energycross-section and the increased water depth after theshortage will remain an anxious issue in the future.reservoir is put into operation.Why don't we consider the development of the TCP toFor the quality of hydrological results, the experteffectively alleviate some of the difficulties? Personspanels reviewed the hydrological results and concludedagainst the TGP construction always failed to provide athat the observation series are sufficient， high qualitybetter alternative solution.and reliable. In the upper reaches, human activitiesFurthermore , with the operation of TGP, the navi-have indeed increased soil erosion, but there is no ob-gation conditions of upper Yangtze River will be signif-vious trend of sediment increasing to mainstream ofcantly improved. The ten-thousand-tonnage fleet canYangtze River. The coarse sediment eroded from thenow reach Chongqing directly. The annual one-wayupper reaches is coarse and mostly deposit in-situ, andcarrying capacity of ship locks can meet the require-few of them can be brought into the tributaries or thement of 50 million t. Transportation cost will be greatlymainstream.reduced. The Yangtze River is now the golden water-The biggest concemn is the issue of sediment deposi-way through the east and west China.tion. After detailed studies carried out by almost all themost excellent national experts in sediment, the expert4 Some major technical issues of TGPpanels reached the final conclusion that through adoptingSince the reassessing of the project， variousreservoir operation mode of storing clear water and relea-doubts and anxieties on many technical issues weresing the muddy, the effective storage capacity of the res-raised by many people including foreign professionals.ervoir can be retained in a long term. Meanwhile, the re-The major concerns are as follows: Is it stable for thequirements of navigation for the ten-thousand-tonnagecrust of the dam site? Is there any big hidden fault tofleet can be basically met as the navigation conditions ofbe found? Would the impoundment cause a strongthe permanent backwater region can be significantly im-earthquake? May major landslides block the river andproved, and the rapids of the fluctuating backwater areacreate threaten to the dam safety? Is the hydrology andcan also be improved to some extent after the impound-sediment data reliable? How long is the life of the res-ment. For special cases when there are lack of adequateervoir? What kind of effect would the sediment maywater depth for navigation at some river reaches or har-have for the channels and harbors? Some worries werebors, improvement measures such as optimized reservoirput forward on the complexity of the hydraulic struc-regulation, dredging and integrated harbor modificationtures, the difficulties of the construction, the long con-can be applied to solve those problems. The expert panelsstruction period it could last, and whether we need tohad also conducted researches on the specific improve-import large quantities of electromechanical equipmentment measures.and so on. To respond comprehensively ，scientificallyIt has been found that although the scale of hy-and clearly to those worries, in addition to the previousdraulic structures of TGP is very large, the task of thestudying results, the expert panels supplemented plentyconstruction is arduous and the main electromechanicalof additional exploration， investigation ，mathematicalequipments were of international standards. Accordingcomputation and model testing.to expert panels, there were no unsolvable technicalAs for geological conditions, the expert panelsdifculties. Chinese people are fully capable of under-recognized that engineering geological conditions of thetaking the design, construction and equipment manu-Three Gorges Dam are favorable; area geologic struc-facturing tasks. Including the first 3 years for prepara-ture is stable; the basic seismic intensity is 6 degrees ,tion, it was planned that the first unit was to be put in-and the maximum reservoir-induced earthquake magni-. to operation in 12 years; the construction was to betude would not exceed 5. 5. The reservoir bank iscomplet中国煤化工”settlement task was tomainly composed of hard or semi-hard rocks, which isbe compattention was paid tofavorable condition in terms of the overall stability. Thethe navYHC N M H Gere of unprecedentedpossibility of the collapsing landslide bodies and insta-scale. Due to the limited foreign exchange， mostbility of bank slopes exists in some reaches, but as itequipment was domestic production, and only a smallVol.9No.3,Sept.2011amount of electromechanical equipment and construc-would have a tremendous economic development. Thetion machinery were imported.conclusion or vision was made by dozens of resettle-ment experts and more than 400 professionals.5 Resettlement and eco-environmentalTo understand the environment impact of theissues of the TGPTGP, 55 eco-environmental experts carried out resear-There is indeed great loss in inundated area of TGPches to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of theand the number of migrants is large. Different from mostconstruction of Three Gorges Reservoir. The analysisreservoirs, the TGP reservoir is 600 km long, and the in-result shows that it is beneficial for middle reaches toundated farmlands on both banks and orchards are aboutmitigate the flood damage, reduce the pollution from28 thousand hm'. There were 725 thousand people livingburning coal through power generation, and slow downunder the inundation line ( water level before damthe sedimentation of Dongting Lake and so on. Theis 175 m). According to the resettlement planning ofdisadvantages or drawbacks will mainly occur in the11.3 million people considering the natural and me-reservoir. In addition to inundating large area of farm-chanical growth rates of population，compensation andland , changing landscapes and causing a large numberresettlement investment can be amounted to 11. 06 bil-of migrants, it may also affect the living condition oflion CNY. To solve the resettlement issues, the fol-some rare species, cause flood at the reservoir tail areas，.lowing three factors shall be considered:induce landslides and earthquakes, and affect lives of1) Are the physical indicators reliable? All theseterrestrial animals and plants. Among those impacts,information was collected through door-to-door investi-the resettlement environment capacity was consideredgation and had been verified and confirmned repeatedlyas the major constraint in particular. The expert paneland jointly with local governments at all levels. It isalso provided specific recommendations on improve-completely trustworthy.ment of the eco-environment and mitigation disadvanta-2) Does it have sufficient environmental capacityges. These suggestions shall be seriously consideredin reservoir area? After repeated investigation and analy-when constructing the TGP.sis, the expert panel on resetlement regarded the issueAnother typical concern is the risk of war-causedas solvable. The reasons are: a. Migrants scatter indam destruction due to which will result in unimagina-hundreds of kilometers in the counties and cities, soble consequence at downstream of the reservoir. Vari-he inundated farmland and migrants account forous scenarios studies and all kinds of model experimentmall portion; b. Agricultural population accounts forresults showed that the worry is unnecessary. If theless than a half of the total number of migrants, anddam failure happens instantaneously in the most ad-most of them do not need to be resettled outside theverse circumstance, the generated flood wave is equiv-county; C. Millions of farmers can be basically reset-alent to a medium sized flood at downstream. Thetled by using large available wastelands and low-yieldJingjiang Dike will not fail. Neither flood will inundatefarmland which can be transformed into farmland, cit-half of China, nor it would flood people terribly in therus gardens and high-yield farmland, and some can bemid-lower areas of Yangtze River. It can not be com-resettled through secondary and tertiary industries orpared with the metropolis and the important militaryoutside migration sites; d. The planning of secondaryand industrial bases suffering by the nuclear attack.and tertiary industries was feasible as it was dominated6 It is more beneficial to construct theby local goverment.TGP ;the earlier the better3) The success of resettlement largely relied onthe organization and policy adopted. The expert panelAccording to expert panel and based on the priceon resettlement adopted the principle of development-level in the end of 1986，the total static investment oforiented resettlement and suggested to combine thethe TGP was 36. 11 billion CNY, of which 18. 767 billionThree Gorges Reservoir resettlement with the construc-CNY was spent on TGP construction. The resetlementtion of the reservoir area and eco-environmental protec-was estimated to cost 11. 061 billion CNY and 6.282tion. Thus, it was concluded that although the task isbillion CNY for high-voltage transmission. On this ba-arduous, the problem can be solved. Meanwhile, wesis, funds required for each year can be estimated fromare convinced that, the resettlement will not only es中国煤化工truetion to the comple-tablish new homes for the migrants, but also improvetion .: adjustment factors andtheir living standard through integrated developmentcalcuTYHC N M H G construction period.approach adopted in the resetlement plan. The townAs the preparation work of the TGP is thoroughwould have a new look, and the whole reservoir area and meticulous and chance is small to miscount any6劈貯数擂Scienceswork, the estimate of 36. 11 billion CNY is reliable.ic investment is 16. 919 billion CNY ( stable price atMoreover, the cost estimate has also allowed room forthe end of 1986) before the first batch of units to beimprovement.operational. After that， the output revenue will beWhether or not to construct TGP? To meet the de-rapidly increased. If the on-grid price is calculatedmand of flood control in the Yangtze River, navigationby 0.093 CNY /(kW●h)，the total investment canand the utilization of electric power in central and eastbe retrieved the next year after the completion of TGP,China, the central govermment has to invest in basicpaying off the entire principal and interest. There is noconstruction, and the TGP is just a ring of this basicany other hydropower project in China that could haveconstruction chain. To meet the same national econom-such powerful capabilities to repay the loan.ic development needs, alterative schemes might be7 Verification to the major conclusionsneeded, if TGP is not constructed, or is to be con-of reassessment in practicestructed at a later stage. Several reasonable and realis-tic schemes were studied for the cases including or ex-The decades-long reassessment stage of TGP en-cluding TGP, early or later construction of the TGPded with a full stop in 1992 when the proposal of theetc. For each scheme, the invested fund and the laterconstruction of TGP was approved by the National Peo-output were calculated and discounted to the presentple' s Congress. This initiated the arduous constructionvalue considering to be ended until the integrated de-period，and the assessment conclusions would bepreciation period. The best choice with the minimumproved one by one.total present value cost was then found. The computing1) The functionality and benefit of TCP. The pri-software used by the expert panel was developed by themary objective of TGP is for flood control. The projectresearch center and verified by the GESP mathematicalhas been through the big floods in 1998 and 2010 since itsmodel used by the World Bank. The results show thatconstruction started. For flood in 2010, the inflow of thethe total present value cost is the smallest for early con-reservoir has reached the peak value of 70 000 m'/s.struction of TGP, and is the largest for not constructingDuring this flood, the reservoir has accumulativelyTGP. As a result, as concluded by expert panel, it isstored flood volume of 26. 6 billion m'，which has ef-more favorable to construct TGP; the earlier the better.fectively alleviated flood pressure in the mid-lowerThe disadvantages of early construction of TGP in-Yangtze River. By the end of 2010, the hydropowerclude the concentrated investment, a great number ofstation has accumulatively generated power of overresettlement, and long construction time. Within the450 bilion kW . h, which is equivalent to 1 500 million t12 -year construeton time, it can not benefit nationalstandard coal , reducing carbon dioxide about 3 700 mil-economy before 2000. The advantage is that it will pro-lion t. It has also improved the navigation condition invide powerful energy once it is put into operation, havethe main channel with 600 km long, so that the ten-great benefits for flood control, and make a substantialthousand-tonnage fleet can reach the harbor ofcontribution to the country economy. In the alternativeChongqing Municipality directly, reducing 1/3 naviga-schemes, such as the use of thernal power, it willtion cost comparing with when there was no TGP.need higher operating cost and encounter more difficul-2) The technical concermns of the construction oties ( without considering the uncertainties of coal pro-TGP. More than ten years of construction practiceduction, transportation and environmental pollution) ，shows that the design scheme，construction scheme andalthough the initial investment is decentralized with ainvestment budgets conducted during the reassessingshort-term profits. The giant hydropower station on thephase were all correct. During the constructionJinsha River is the only real alternative to TGP. How-process, all stage objectives were completed on time,ever, its investment on transmission lines would haveand the technical problems were all solved nearly per-been much greater and with longer input time. There-fectly, such as difficulties of river closure of TGP, res-fore , considering the national economic strategic objec-ervoir storage, power generation units, the operation oftives and the largest integrated interests in a long-term,double-line five-step ship lock.the early construction of TGP is bound to be an optimal3) Other concemns. Since the operation of TGP, va-choice.rious concerns such as stabilization of reservoir banks ,The above is only a part of economic evaluation.sediment中国煤化工environment impactThe expert panels also made other reassessments inclu-etc. allessing results. Mean-CNMHGding specific financial feasibility study. The financialwhile，pvivii' iure received favorableanalysis shows that the domestic investment of TGP willtreatment. Monitoring and prevention capacity anbe focused on the first 10 years, of which the total stat-strengthened, which will not affect the operation of TGP.Vol. 9 No. 3,Sept.2011 7The unprecedented resettlement scalefTGPisater impoundment was implemented.very difficult task we have never encountered before.8 ConclusionTo ensure the reservoir water storage in schedule, therelocation of nearly 1. 3 million residents was success-The report on Periodic Assessment of the Three Gor-fully completed in 2010. It is almost an unprecedentedges Project ( Comprehensive Volume ) was published bymiracle. To ensure a healthy eco-environment condi-Chinese Academy of Engineering in December 2010. Ittion, an ecology and environment monitoring system ofpointed out that TGP, the world ' s largest water pro-TGP was established. The Chinese Sturgeon Researchject, has been basically completed; moreover, as theCenter in Three Gorges dam-site has successfully crea-key project for harnessing and developing the Yangtzeted the first artificial propagation of Chinese SturgeonRiver basin, it began to exert large comprehensive ben-in the world.efits on flood control, power generation and navigation.4)“It is more favorable to construct TGP andMeanwhile the construction scheme and the main con-even better to construct it earlier". On October 26,clusion that it is more favorable to construct TGP ; the2010, Three Gorges reservoir reached the design nor-earlier the better, the suggestion of reservoir normalmal pool level of 175 m for the first time, which is twopool level of 175 m, the scheme of one-stage developyears earlier than expected. It indicates the full com-ment, one-time completion， step-by-step impound-pletion of TGP, and also shows that the design require-ment, and continuous resettlement, have passed thements on multiple functions of flood control, powertest of practice. Such results shall allow all those whogeneration and navigation have been satisfied and thehad participated in the feasibility studies to be deeplyproject has begun to exert comprehensive benefits.pleased.TGP, as the dream of Chinese people for a century,The practice shows that TGP is a precious waterstanding in the Yangtze River，shows numerous advan-conservancy and hydropower project with various ad-tages, such as excellent construction quality, fast pro-vantages of huge comprehensive benefits, low powergress and low cost of construction. The monitoring dataprice, high profit, strong repayment ability and quickshows that the working condition of hydraulic structurereturm on investment, favorable economic indicators,is safe; the seismic frequency in the reservoir area dur-nd significant contributions to the country economy.ing the impoundment period has decreased year byTGP, the Chinese national treasure, a miracle and ayear; geological disasters have also showed a decliningpearl in the history of the world' s water conservancytrend; the water quality in reservoir and mainstream ofconstruction, has been harvested by Chinese people.the Yangtze River does not show significant change af-AuthorPan Jiazheng, male, borm in Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province in 1927, senior engineer of professor rank,academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering and Chinese Academy of Sciences , mainly engaged in hydropowerstation designing, construction and scientific research. He can be reached by E-mail: dlblyl@ 163. com中国煤化工MYHCNMHG.85方敞掘ring Sciences