Sediment Flushing Operation Mode During Sediment Peak Processes Aiming Towards the Sustainability of Three Gorges Reservoir

Bingjiang Dong (), Lingling Zhu, Shi Ren, Jing Yuan and Chaonan Lv
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Bingjiang Dong: Bureau of Hydrology, Changjiang Water Resources Commission, Wuhan 430010, China
Lingling Zhu: Bureau of Hydrology, Changjiang Water Resources Commission, Wuhan 430010, China
Shi Ren: China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang 443100, China
Jing Yuan: Bureau of Hydrology, Changjiang Water Resources Commission, Wuhan 430010, China
Chaonan Lv: China Three Gorges Corporation, Yichang 443100, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-21

Abstract: Asynchrony between the movement of water and sediment in a reservoir will affect long-term maintenance of the reservoir’s capacity to a certain extent. Based on water and sediment data on the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) measured over the years and a river network model, optimization of the dispatching mode of the reservoir’s sand peak process was studied, and the corresponding water and sediment dispatching indicators were provided. The results show that (1) sand peak discharge dispatching of the TGR can be divided roughly into three stages, namely the flood detention period, the sediment transport period, and the sediment discharge period. (2) According to the process of the flood peak and the sand peak, a division method for each period is proposed. (3) A corresponding scheduling index is proposed according to the characteristics of the sand peak process and the needs of flood control scheduling. This research can provide operational indicators for the operation and management of the sediment load in the TGR and also provide technical support for sustainable reservoirs similar to TGR.

Keywords: Three Gorges Reservoir; suspended sediment; sediment peak transport; scheduling phases; operational indicators; reservoir sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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