Three Gorges Reservoir replenishes 5.2b m³ of water to Yangtze River during the winter and spring

The Three Gorges Reservoir, operated by China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG), lowered its water level to 169.30 meters at 8:00 on February 28, indicating that it has replenished a total of 5.2 billion m³ of water to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River during the winter and spring.

The amount of the replenished water, equivalent to 370 times the capacity of West Lake,  a renowned freshwater lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province whose surface area measures 6.4 km², effectively ensured water supply for people's daily work and life.

The inflow of water from the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and its tributaries usually decreases abruptly from November to April. As a key strategic freshwater reservoir in China, the Three Gorges Reservoir makes full use of a reservoir of water, which has long been stored, to replenish water for the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River by raising the discharging rate to more than 6,000 cubic meters per second.

In a span of 110 days from November 11, 2021 to February 28, 2022, CTG carried out the joint operation of six reservoirs to replenish water for the downstream, meeting the water demand of the middle and lower reaches.