S. China's Drought Worst In 50 Yrs. As Monsoon Fails; 3 Gorges Reservoir Falling 1.5 Ft./Day

Chinese authorities will step up the release of water from the Three Gorges Dam in a bid to tackle a drought in southern China which has put pressure on drinking water, crops, shipping lanes and electricity production in what is traditionally China’s most water-abundant region. The monsoon rains that usually flood southern China’s middle Yangtze river in spring did not come this year, and officials say rainfall in Hubei, Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang is at its lowest level in more than 50 years.

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Water releases from the Three Gorges reservoir, which is upstream from the drought areas, will be increased by 10-20 per cent today, according to the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Office.

Water has already been released at a rate of 10,000 cubic metres per second since last Friday, causing the level of the reservoir to fall by one metre every two days, say dam operators.

In Hubei and Hunan provinces, the drought has threatened drinking supplies for more than 1m people. In neighbouring Jiangxi province, Poyang Lake, China’s largest freshwater lake, has hit a 59-year low and rice transplants around it have stopped.

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http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/7d6e4db8-861e-11e0-9e2c-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1NMm156wi

They can alleviate flooding as well as provide water in years of drought.

:sarcasm:

once thought to be rare birds, may soon be as common as chickadees.