Three Gorges Dam discharge may only last 15 days
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China's Three Gorges Dam is discharging more water to the drought-hit Yangtze River, taking the level of the reservoir from 154 meters to 152 meters in six days.
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Journalists take photos as flood water is released from the Three Gorges Dam's floodgates in Yichang, in central China's Hubei province, Tuesday, July 20, 2010. [Xinhua]? |
![Journalists take photos as flood water is released from the Three Gorges Dam's floodgates in Yichang, in central China's Hubei province, Tuesday, July 20, 2010. [Xinhua]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20110527/0014222d98500f494f6206.jpg "Journalists take photos as flood water is released from the Three Gorges Dam's floodgates in Yichang, in central China's Hubei province, Tuesday, July 20, 2010. [Xinhua]")
Up until May 26, Three Gorges Dam has discharged 1.8 billion cubic metres of water this month and only has 1/5 reservoir capacity left.
According to Three Gorges Corporation, if there are no more water supply to the reservior from the upper reaches and no wide range rainfall covering the lower parts of the Yangtze River, the discharging can only last to June 10.
Water levels in the middle and lower reaches of the river have risen recently, according to figures released by the Yangtze River Water Conservancy Commission.
Water levels in the river's Hankou region rose by 1.34 meters to reach 16.59 meters, while water levels in the Jiujiang region rose to 10.58 meters, 1.1 meters higher than on May 15, when the water levels were at their lowest point.
The Three Gorges Project consists of a dam, a five-tier ship dock and 26 hydropower turbo-generators. The project generates electricity, controls flooding by providing storage space and adjusts shipping capacity.
