Author(s): Yuankun Wang
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: No Keywords
Abstract: The flow regime of the Yangtze River has been influenced by human activities, particularly dam and reservoirs. Flow regimes will be further impacted because of cascade hydropower development in the upper reach of the Yangtze River (URYR). To assess the impacts of cascade reservoirs on the ecological flows, four different scenarios of the reservoirs’combination are simulated with a distributed hydrological model. Flow regime changes were assessed by using minimum/optimal ecological flow with the simulated data. The results indicate that eco-surplus in low flows and eco-deficit in high flows greatly increases due to reservoir operations when more reservoirs are put into service. The minimum ecological flow and the optimal ecological flow cannot be guaranteed from September to November, which is a crucial time for Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis) spawning. For meeting the requirements for fish spawning, the lower and satisfactory operation limits are proposed.
Year: 2018