Research on the regulation of Three Gorges Reservoir in response to saltwater intrusion in the Yangtze River Estuary

Abstract

With the changes of economic society and human activities to the natural environment, the impact of saltwater intrusion becomes more frequent and the degree of harm becomes more serious. The Yangtze River Estuary is a densely populated and economically developed area in China, but in terms of water resources utilization, the Yangtze River Estuary is often suffering from saltwater intrustion in dry season. As the backbone of the cascade reservoirs in the Yangtze River Basin, the scientific operation of the Three Gorges Reservoir plays an active role in reducing the saltwater intrusion in the Yangtze River Estuary. Therefore, based on the analysis of the characteristics of Yangtze River Estuary, this paper sums up the variations of saltwater intrusion and discusses the main dynamic factors of saltwater intrusion. In addition, it explores the internal relationship between the upstream water volume and the saltwater intrusion. It takes the allocation of the fresh water resources by the water resources regulation of the Three Gorges Reservoir as a main discussing point. In the end, this paper focuses on the countermeasures and effect of emergency water replenishment on the saltwater intrusion in the Yangtze River Estuary.