Three Gorges Dam, China

This project has intrigued and bothered me from the first time I heard of it nearly 10 years ago. A huge hydroelectric dam on the Yangtze River in one of China's most scenic areas. Two kilometers across (1.2 miles) and 185 meters high (610 feet), it will be five times wider than Hoover Dam in Nevada and cost between $25 and $75 BILLION dollars. Generating 18,200 megawatts of electricity, nearly the output of 16 nuclear power plants and allow 10,000-ton cargo ships access to the country's interior from the ocean. Behind the dam will be a reservoir 400 miles long. Lost under water will be countless sites of cultural and historical significance, 13 major cities, 140 towns, over 1300 villages and an unknown number of farms. About 1.13 million people are being relocated, the largest relocation outside of war.

In 2003, the reservoir began to fill and soon after cracks were documented in the dam wall. Now the reservoir is about 350 miles long and up to 135 feet deep. The cracks are reported to be increasing in number and size, or being fixed, or not a problem, depending upon what source you're reading.

What are the ecological costs of such a project? Millions of tons of human and industrial waste are dumped into the Yangtze River, the third longest in the world, each year. A reservoir will allow that waste to settle and collect, creating a very big potential health and environmental risk. Sediments transported down river to the river's mouth, deposited along the way, replenishing farmland and habitat, will be lost. Erosion downstream and loss of fertile land and habitat will be a cascading downturn for many species.

Extensive logging is required during the building of the dam and support structures. This denudes steep hillsides, increasing the risk of landslides.

Species reliant on the river and its adjacent habitats will be affected, among them are the Yangtze dolphon, Chinese sturgeon, Chinese tiger, Chinese alligator, Siberian crane, and the giant panda.

The dam is a source of National Party pride, a "look what China can do" show-off. A super power coming of age. Along with their space exploits and economin potential, China is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with (and worried about?).

Increasing human population will demand more of the resources our Earth holds. My wife told me the other day as we were passing by more farm fields up for sale or being graded for the next subdivision that we should be growing corn on those fields for fuel. At first that sounded like a great idea. But for those fields to remain fields of corn, growing corn must be more profitable than growing houses, or shopping malls or Dollar Stores. So far, it isn't. Those fields keep moving farther out to land not quite as good and more expensive to irrigate. But, that's another story.

Here is a selection of websites for more information.

Three Gorges Probe
Edward Burtynsky - photographer
CNN Article
TED Case Study
New Scientist
Geography Pages