Three Gorges Reservoir completes annual drawdown ahead of schedule

Date: 2026-06-10

On June 7, the water level of the Three Gorges Reservoir dropped to 147.78 meters, creating 20.8 billion cubic meters of flood-control capacity and completing its annual drawdown ahead of schedule.

It can be understood this way: as the Yangtze River basin enters the 2026 flood season, the reservoir lowers its water level in advance — much like making space in a giant "water tank" for incoming floodwater. The water released during this process also helps replenish the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, supporting navigation and water supply.

Since the Three Gorges Reservoir began operation in 2003, the six cascade reservoirs on the Yangtze mainstream operated and managed by CTG have helped hold back floods more than 70 times, storing over 220 billion cubic meters of floodwater in total.

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By China Three Gorges Corporation

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