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China Releases Three Gorges Water to Ease Drought
Reuters ^ | December 6, 2007 | Reuters

Posted on 12/07/2007 7:09:28 PM PST by JACKRUSSELL

(BEIJING) - China has raised the flow of water from behind its massive Three Gorges Dam to ease a downstream drought that is the worst in half a century, the official Xinhua agency reported on Thursday.

Low rainfall along the upper parts of the Yangtze River, China's longest, meant levels on the middle stretches had retreated 1.5 meters below average, stranding at least 26 cargo ships over the past month.

River authorities issued a warning to shipping about low water levels, and ships had to be checked for weight and unload excess cargo before heading through the drought-stricken section, the report said.

Over 1,000 workers and 100 boats were also digging out silt along the river, which is usually lower over the autumn and winter but replenished by spring floods, Xinhua added.

The flow of water has now increased by more than 5 percent from Tuesday levels, according to the China Three Gorges Project Corporation (CTGPC), raising downstream water levels around half a meter. The extra flow will last at least until next Tuesday.

Large areas of south China are also suffering from serious drought, with water levels on two major rivers -- the Gan and the Xiang -- in rice-growing provinces dropping to historic lows, state media said in November.

China suffers a water shortages of nearly 40 billion cubic meters a year which its Water Minister has blamed largely on global warming, state media have reported, although severe pollution and rising consumption by both farmers and booming cities have compounded shortages.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: china; drought; threegorgesdam; water

1 posted on 12/07/2007 7:09:30 PM PST by JACKRUSSELL
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To: Duchess47; jahp; LilAngel; metmom; EggsAckley; Battle Axe; SweetCaroline; Grizzled Bear; ...
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
”MADE IN CHINA” Ping.

(Please FReepmail me if you would like to be on or off of the list.)
2 posted on 12/07/2007 7:09:43 PM PST by JACKRUSSELL
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To: JACKRUSSELL
given the chinese humanitarian record, could it have looked like this?

3 posted on 12/07/2007 7:15:53 PM PST by robomatik
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To: JACKRUSSELL
China suffers a water shortages of nearly 40 billion cubic meters a year which its Water Minister has blamed largely on global warming

And therefore, Bush's fault.

4 posted on 12/07/2007 7:23:53 PM PST by neodad (Did you see me lay down the law? I'm the law giver!)
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To: JACKRUSSELL
I have complete confidence in their decision.

I hope they make cheap galoshes in China.

5 posted on 12/07/2007 7:27:32 PM PST by BallyBill (Serial Hit-N-Run poster)
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To: JACKRUSSELL

That’s a pretty tough one to figure out....

Let’s see, restrict the water flow upriver....and amazingly enough you get drier conditions down river.

Who-da-thunk-it.


6 posted on 12/07/2007 7:40:13 PM PST by taxed2death (A few billion here, a few trillion there...we're all friends right?)
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