Preliminary Study on Optimizing the Operation Mode of the Three Gorges Reservoir to Reduce Riverbed Scouring Downstream of the Dam
[Objective] With the release of low-sediment water, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River will undergo long-distance and long-duration river channel scouring. Optimizing the operation strategy of the Three Gorges Reservoir to reduce scouring downstream of the dam is of great significance...
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Editorial Office of Journal of Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute
2025-08-01
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| Series: | 长江科学院院报 |
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| author | YUAN Yuan, WANG Xiang, FENG Zhi-zhou, HUANG Ren-yong, GUO Xiao, WANG Min |
| author_facet | YUAN Yuan, WANG Xiang, FENG Zhi-zhou, HUANG Ren-yong, GUO Xiao, WANG Min |
| author_sort | YUAN Yuan, WANG Xiang, FENG Zhi-zhou, HUANG Ren-yong, GUO Xiao, WANG Min |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | [Objective] With the release of low-sediment water, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River will undergo long-distance and long-duration river channel scouring. Optimizing the operation strategy of the Three Gorges Reservoir to reduce scouring downstream of the dam is of great significance. [Methods] Based on the statistical analysis of measured data, the response mechanisms of erosion and deposition in the downstream river channel were analyzed. Using mathematical modeling, a preliminary study was conducted on reservoir operation strategies aimed at reducing downstream scouring. The sediment regulation concept of “regulating sediment to reduce scouring, regulating water to regulate sediment, and achieving sediment regulation through water regulation” was proposed. [Results and Conclusion] At representative hydrological stations along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, sediment load exhibits a good power-law relationship with flow, indicating a strong correlation between sediment transport and flow. Therefore, sediment regulation in the middle and lower reaches can be achieved by controlling corresponding flow processes. Typical years of 2012 and 2013 were selected to study the effects of regulating sediment peaks during the flood season and different regulation modes for small and medium-sized floods on the reservoir’s sediment flushing ratio and downstream river channel scouring. Downstream scouring is influenced by both the sediment released from the upstream reservoir and the volume and process of the incoming flow. Increasing the reservoir’s maximum flow during sediment peak periods and shortening its duration are both beneficial for reducing downstream scouring. Among these, increasing the maximum flow has a more significant effect. Therefore, to mitigate downstream scouring, the flow during flood seasons should not be too low. Based on typical years from 2008 to 2017, the effect of optimized operation schemes on reducing scouring between Yichang and Datong was studied. In terms of total scouring volume across this reach, the implementation of an optimized operation scheme aimed at reducing downstream scouring resulted in increased sediment discharge from the reservoir and a total reduction of 24.47 million m3 in scouring volume, with an average annual reduction of 2.447 million m3. Overall, considering sediment peak regulation during the flood season can reduce downstream river channel scouring to a certain extent. Using hydrological and sediment data from 1991 to 2000 and considering both the joint operation of upstream cascade reservoirs and the optimized operation of the Three Gorges Reservoir for scouring reduction, the long-term water and sediment outflow processes of the reservoir were predicted and used as boundary conditions for long-term simulations of downstream scouring. A one-dimensional hydrodynamic and sediment transport model for the Yichang-Datong reach of the middle and lower Yangtze River was applied to predict the long-term evolution of downstream river channel scouring under optimized operation. The research findings can provide a reference for the optimized operation of the Three Gorges Reservoir. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c777ac3b62914c9aac89de89d973d4ea |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1001-5485 |
| language | zho |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Editorial Office of Journal of Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute |
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| series | 长江科学院院报 |
| spelling | doaj-art-c777ac3b62914c9aac89de89d973d4ea2025-08-20T03:37:01ZzhoEditorial Office of Journal of Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute长江科学院院报1001-54852025-08-01428273710.11988/ckyyb.20240635Preliminary Study on Optimizing the Operation Mode of the Three Gorges Reservoir to Reduce Riverbed Scouring Downstream of the DamYUAN Yuan, WANG Xiang, FENG Zhi-zhou, HUANG Ren-yong, GUO Xiao, WANG Min01 China Yangtze Power Co., Ltd., Yichang 443000, China;2 River Research Department, Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute, Wuhan 430010, China;3 Key Laboratory of River and Lake Management and Flood Control in the Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtze River of Ministry of Water Resources, Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute, Wuhan 430010, China[Objective] With the release of low-sediment water, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River will undergo long-distance and long-duration river channel scouring. Optimizing the operation strategy of the Three Gorges Reservoir to reduce scouring downstream of the dam is of great significance. [Methods] Based on the statistical analysis of measured data, the response mechanisms of erosion and deposition in the downstream river channel were analyzed. Using mathematical modeling, a preliminary study was conducted on reservoir operation strategies aimed at reducing downstream scouring. The sediment regulation concept of “regulating sediment to reduce scouring, regulating water to regulate sediment, and achieving sediment regulation through water regulation” was proposed. [Results and Conclusion] At representative hydrological stations along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, sediment load exhibits a good power-law relationship with flow, indicating a strong correlation between sediment transport and flow. Therefore, sediment regulation in the middle and lower reaches can be achieved by controlling corresponding flow processes. Typical years of 2012 and 2013 were selected to study the effects of regulating sediment peaks during the flood season and different regulation modes for small and medium-sized floods on the reservoir’s sediment flushing ratio and downstream river channel scouring. Downstream scouring is influenced by both the sediment released from the upstream reservoir and the volume and process of the incoming flow. Increasing the reservoir’s maximum flow during sediment peak periods and shortening its duration are both beneficial for reducing downstream scouring. Among these, increasing the maximum flow has a more significant effect. Therefore, to mitigate downstream scouring, the flow during flood seasons should not be too low. Based on typical years from 2008 to 2017, the effect of optimized operation schemes on reducing scouring between Yichang and Datong was studied. In terms of total scouring volume across this reach, the implementation of an optimized operation scheme aimed at reducing downstream scouring resulted in increased sediment discharge from the reservoir and a total reduction of 24.47 million m3 in scouring volume, with an average annual reduction of 2.447 million m3. Overall, considering sediment peak regulation during the flood season can reduce downstream river channel scouring to a certain extent. Using hydrological and sediment data from 1991 to 2000 and considering both the joint operation of upstream cascade reservoirs and the optimized operation of the Three Gorges Reservoir for scouring reduction, the long-term water and sediment outflow processes of the reservoir were predicted and used as boundary conditions for long-term simulations of downstream scouring. A one-dimensional hydrodynamic and sediment transport model for the Yichang-Datong reach of the middle and lower Yangtze River was applied to predict the long-term evolution of downstream river channel scouring under optimized operation. The research findings can provide a reference for the optimized operation of the Three Gorges Reservoir.http://ckyyb.crsri.cn/fileup/1001-5485/PDF/1001-5485(2025)08-0027-11.pdfdownstream of the three gorges dam|riverbed scouring|operation optimization|three gorges reservoir |
| spellingShingle | YUAN Yuan, WANG Xiang, FENG Zhi-zhou, HUANG Ren-yong, GUO Xiao, WANG Min Preliminary Study on Optimizing the Operation Mode of the Three Gorges Reservoir to Reduce Riverbed Scouring Downstream of the Dam 长江科学院院报 downstream of the three gorges dam|riverbed scouring|operation optimization|three gorges reservoir |
| title | Preliminary Study on Optimizing the Operation Mode of the Three Gorges Reservoir to Reduce Riverbed Scouring Downstream of the Dam |
| title_full | Preliminary Study on Optimizing the Operation Mode of the Three Gorges Reservoir to Reduce Riverbed Scouring Downstream of the Dam |
| title_fullStr | Preliminary Study on Optimizing the Operation Mode of the Three Gorges Reservoir to Reduce Riverbed Scouring Downstream of the Dam |
| title_full_unstemmed | Preliminary Study on Optimizing the Operation Mode of the Three Gorges Reservoir to Reduce Riverbed Scouring Downstream of the Dam |
| title_short | Preliminary Study on Optimizing the Operation Mode of the Three Gorges Reservoir to Reduce Riverbed Scouring Downstream of the Dam |
| title_sort | preliminary study on optimizing the operation mode of the three gorges reservoir to reduce riverbed scouring downstream of the dam |
| topic | downstream of the three gorges dam|riverbed scouring|operation optimization|three gorges reservoir |
| url | http://ckyyb.crsri.cn/fileup/1001-5485/PDF/1001-5485(2025)08-0027-11.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yuanyuanwangxiangfengzhizhouhuangrenyongguoxiaowangmin preliminarystudyonoptimizingtheoperationmodeofthethreegorgesreservoirtoreduceriverbedscouringdownstreamofthedam |