Maintaining the connected river-lake relationship in the middle Yangtze River reaches after completion of the Three Gorges Project

After operation of the Three Gorges Project (TGP), there is a new evolution tendency for rivers and lakes in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River (i.e. the Ching River reaches). In recent years, the weakening connection relationship between the Yangtze River and Dongting Lake has resulted in a series of problems for flood regulation, water resources utilization, and aquatic ecosystem protection in the river-lake joint area. In this paper, the hydrological characteristics and fluvial processes within the river-lake joint area are studied, and possible management strategies to maintain the connected river-lake relationship are proposed. To achieve this objective, the evolution tendency, such as the zero-flow problem and river regime for three major outlets (i.e. the Songzi Outlet, Taiping Outlet, and Ouchi Outlet) to Dongting Lake from the Yangtze River, is analyzed. It is believed that the Songzi Outlet has a comparative advantage in flow diversion over the other two outlets. The Range of Variability Approach is introduced to identify hydrological characteristics at the Songzi Outlet. Several characteristic values of flow diversion from this outlet during drought periods are determined. Then, the fluvial processes in the river-lake joint area are studied by comparing topographic maps and using control gauge station data of various years. The water and sediment flux are analyzed before and after operation of the TGP. Finally, based on the results obtained, two possible management strategies are recommended and corresponding parameters are estimated to strengthen and maintain the connected river-lake relationship. This analysis takes into account operation of the TGP, mainstream shift and increasing riverbed scour in the Ching River channel. To restore the flow diversion condition to that in the 1950s or 1960s (i.e. 140 m3/s of flow diversion corresponding to 5500 m3/s of flow at the Zhicheng station), it is estimated that the river channel around the Songzi Outlet should be dredged 1.4 m under the current riverbed situation, and other corresponding improvement measures for Songzi River channels should also be implemented.