Affected by continuous heavy rainfall since June 25, the “NO. 1 flood of the Yangtze River in 2024” formed at 14:00 on June 28 and continued to evolve thereafter. In order to relieve the flood pressure in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, CTG implemented the dispatch command of Changjiang Water Resources Commission (CWRC) of the Ministry of Water Resources, gradually reducing the discharge of the Three Gorges Reservoir to 14,000 cubic meters per second. From June 26 to July 1, a total of 3.9 billion cubic meters of floodwater has been intercepted and impounded.

The total storage capacity of the Three Gorges Project below the normal storage level is 39.3 billion cubic meters, of which the flood control capacity is 22.15 billion cubic meters. On June 6, the water level of the Three Gorges Reservoir drew down to 145 meters, completing the 2024 drawdown task four days ahead of schedule and turning to flood control dispatching in the flood season.

Following the dispatching order of CWRC, the Three Gorges Reservoir gradually reduced its outbound flow on June 26; Since June 27, the average daily outbound flow of the Three Gorges Reservoir has been gradually reduced from about 24,000 cubic meters per second to about 18,000 cubic meters per second; On June 28, the average daily outbound flow of the Three Gorges Reservoir was further reduced to 14,000 cubic meters per second. As of July 1, the Three Gorges Reservoir has intercepted and impounded a total of 3.9 billion cubic meters of floodwater. The flood interception, flood peak reduction and flood peak staggered regulation of Three Gorges Reservoir significantly reduced the water level of main stream in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, lowering the highest water level at Chenglingji (Lianhuatang), Hankou, Hukou and Datong gauging stations by about 0.7 meters, 0.4 meters, 0.2 meters, and 0.15 meters, respectively.

The real-time water regimen of the Yangtze River Hydrological Data Information Network (www.cjh.com.cn) showed that at 8:00 a.m. on July 2, the inbound flow of the Three Gorges Reservoir was 24,100 cubic meters per second, and its water level was 154.63 meters.

It is learned that the Three Gorges Project plays its flood control role mainly in three ways: flood interception—intercepting floodwater that exceeds the safe discharge capacity for the downstream and ensuring the flood control safety in the downstream; flood peak reduction—timely reducing the flood peak from the upstream when the situation of flood control gets severe   in the downstream, reducing the outbound flow of the reservoir, and choosing the appropriate time to discharge, so as to relieve the flood control pressure in the downstream; flood peak staggered regulation—staggering upstream and downstream flood peaks by reducing inflow from the upstream, preventing overlapping of upstream and downstream flood peaks, so as to reducing the flood control pressure in the downstream.