Construction Of Large Dams Research Articles

From ‘hydrology of hope’ to ‘hydrology of despair’: a feminist review of Mushandike small-scale irrigation scheme in the semi-arid region of Southern Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT The physical and social environmental repercussions of large dam construction have pre-occupied development discourse for some time globally. Literature on dam projects focuses on the displacement of humans and wildlife from their natural habitats and the dam’s contribution to urban and industrial transformation. There is a dearth of literature on small dams and small-scale irrigation projects in communal areas. This article examines the status of Mushandike irrigation scheme, which was designed to transform the lives of rural people located in the semi-arid ecological region of southern Zimbabwe. We used ethnographic principles of data generation guided by a feminist theoretical framework to get to women farmers’ lived experiences. Mushandike small-scale irrigation scheme has been a ‘hydrology of hope’ for women farmers for many years. However, multifarious factors, both natural and human-induced, are turning it into a ‘hydrology of despair’. Although farming is still done from a business perspective, water stress due to an inefficient water and land allocation management system, linked to patriarchal ideological practices, has driven the irrigation scheme onto a difficult trajectory. The article recommends a paradigm shift in the irrigation scheme’s management to ensure that the original ethos – that irrigation farming is equivalent to formal employment – is re-adopted.

Lessons Learned from Flood Management in Iran

Iran has a longstanding challenge in supplying water during prolonged drought periods. This has drawn considerable attention towards the dam industry over the past four decades, leading to the study, construction and operation of several large dams. These dams played a critical role in controlling the massive floods of 2019 and 2020, among others. Nevertheless, due to the increased intensity and frequency of extreme events because of climate change, the downstream regions of these large storage dams still face significant damages. This is mainly attributed to the insufficient dredging of rivers and tributaries, lack of rule curve and operation guideline for some storage dams, inaccurate prediction of flood volume, violation of land-use and water management action plans, promotion of industries with high water need, and floodplain encroachment. In this study, we aim to evaluate the performance of several large dams in the Karkheh and Karoon river basin, located in southwestern Iran, in managing the floods took place in the aforementioned periods. We also discuss the challenges and the lessons learned, with suggestions for improving the flood management in the country.

Impactos da UHE de Belo Monte para os pescadores artesanais da Colônia Z-57, em Altamira, PA, Brasil.

The trauma that resulted from the construction of large hydroelectric dams in the Amazon is marked by major social and environmental restructuring, plunder, and impacts, on Indigenous Lands, Conservation Units, and residents on the outskirts of cities or through the country roads. In general, the effects caused by the Belo Monte HPP gain prominence and production, in which one of them composes the objective of this article: to analyze the impacts on the fishing territory. Having as methodological path the bibliographic review, field, and relative work with the fishermen of the Fishing Colony Z-57. It appears that the installation of the plant ended up deleteriously altering the systemic and cultural relations, under which the fishing territory is expressed. Compromising it, translating into low fishing stocks in the communities; a decrease of up to 70% in fisheries production and, consequently, an increase in pain and economic costs for carrying out the activity. It was evident that the legal frameworks and the licensing instruments, all the judicialization resulting from these infrastructure projects, and the struggle imposed on their installation, were not capable of safeguarding the interests of society - fishermen, specifically - in the face of the despoliation effect of the construction of the hydroelectric dam on the fishing territory.

Dynamics of Making of Large Dam: An overview of Benefits and Challenges

Worldwide debate concerning large dam is remarkably a complex issue in development field. It becomes more complex because the issue is not only confined to planning, designing, and development of dams but also embraces a series of social, cultural and environmental aspects besides human being’s desire and aspiration of progress. It is obvious that large dams are constructed to generate numerous benefits such as hydropower electricity, irrigation and flood control, increased water supply that eventually brings comprehensive benefits to the society, culture and nation as a whole. In the pursuit of development of Nepal, it is an established fact that hydropower remains the most important resource which has a huge potential to contribute for the energy demand as well as a better social and economic status of its citizen that ultimately lead to accelerate the economic growth of the country. Nepal has received tremendous support from many developed countries and various institutions for the construction of large dam with a purpose of producing hydropower. This paper seeks to analyze the various aspects and impacts of large dam construction with reference to the displacement and resettlement of the evicted people.

The legal regulation of the construction of dams on international rivers in accordance with the principles of general international law

Water nowadays has been of great importance internationally for its scarcity, water is now of great importance at the international level because of its scarcity, and the growing demand for it resulting from the increasing population at the international level, which portends inter-State conflicts over the sharing of the available water resources. Therefore, the construction of dams has been increasing recently, especially in countries from which rivers flow which may have negative impacts on economic, social, health, and environmental aspects. Dams are one of the most important water facilities that humanity has ever known in his history. Scientific reality has shown that several factors can mainly participate in the increasing water crises. But dam construction and water storage by basin countries are the biggest problems for countries that depend on international rivers, which resulted in shortages of productive capacities in these countries. Despite many historical ties and coherent international relations between the basin and the riparian countries, however, due to the technological development, increasing uses of water for various purposes, and decreasing freshwater levels; construction of large dams for the storage and utilization of international water has been started. This leads to the deprivation of the riparian countries of quantities of river water according to the principles of the general international law, which is the main problem for riparian States, despite the other problems they face like water pollution due to the untreated wastes in international rivers as well as industrial waste disposal by basin countries  

Climate and landscape changes enhance the global spread of a bloom-forming dinoflagellate related to fish kills and water quality deterioration

Global inland water biodiversity is under mounting stress facing future scenarios of climate change, biological invasions, pollution, diversion, damming of rivers, and increase of water abstractions. Apart from having isolated effects, all these stressors threats act synergistically and thus pose additional emerging threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services. Native to Northern Europe, the nuisance and potential toxic dinoflagellate Ceratium furcoides (Levander) Langhans 1925 is a silent invader that blooms in freshwater systems; it has one of the most rapid spread rates globally. We propose a framework to determine the worldwide most vulnerable areas for the invasion by C. furcoides shortly (2041–2060) by combining future scenarios of climate change (a proxy for invasiveness) derived from ecological niche models with future dam construction data (a proxy for invasibility). The nine models applied in four future scenarios of greenhouse gas emission from Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 showed a general increase in areas suitable for the invasion success of C. furcoides. High susceptibility overlapped with areas densely occupied by large and medium-size dams and future dam construction projects. Considering that C. furcoides can reproduce from a single cell, produces resistant stages, and has several strategies to cope with local environmental constraints, early detection protocols, and mitigation actions are urgently needed to avoid biodiversity declines related to this invader.

Freshwater discharge from the large and coastal peninsular rivers of India: Areassessment for sustainable water management.

This study offers an updated mean annual water discharge of 10 large and 11 coastal basins of the Indian Peninsula and looks into environmental parameters influencing the water flux and discharge trends. The mean annual discharge of large and coastal rivers is estimated to be 221 and 294 km3. Thus, despite draining 25% of the Indian Peninsula, coastal rivers deliver more than half of the annual flux, and west-flowing coastal rivers contribute 85% of it. This study demonstrates temporal changes in the water discharge of various river basins. The presence of dams regulates discharge regimes of large rivers. The construction of large dams resulted in a significant decline in the water discharge of the Krishna, Cauvery, and Narmada. Through this study, we demonstrate the role of rainfall, catchment size, water loss through evapotranspiration and infiltration, and societal use of water in determining the runoff of each basin. We recommend tapping the water resources of the west-flowing rivers for proper planning, development, and management to reduce the water stress in the peninsular region and promoting sustainable management.

The Dammed Body: Thinking Historically about Water Security & Public Health

Abstract This essay traces the historical relationship between the construction of the Nile River and the prevalence of disease in Egypt in the long twentieth century, with an eye to the relevance of this history to other regions on the African continent impacted by the construction of large dams. Beginning in the second decade of the nineteenth century and stretching through the 1970s, the Nile River underwent a dramatic process of transformation. Two large dams–the 1902 Khazan Aswan and the Aswan High Dam–were constructed on the river. Networks of perennial irrigation canals facilitated the practice of year-round agricultural production and the High Dam provided electricity. The remaking of Egypt's riparian ecologies also had important implications for the health of Egypt's population as these ecologies were associated with new landscapes of disease and approaches to biomedical treatment.

Impacts of dams and reservoirs on local climate change: a global perspective

As a primary artificial project in a river basin, the role of large dams and related reservoirs in mitigating the hydrological and meteorological extremes has been widely recognized. Moreover, construction of additional large dams is considered as one of the best available options to meet future increases in water, food, and energy demands, although this may drastically affect the surrounding natural environment. However, the issue about the degree of such effects is still unclear, although the interactive impacts of dams and related reservoirs on the changes in meteorological variables are of great scientific importance. Therefore, this study aims to explore the impacts of reservoir characteristic factors (RCFs) on local climate change near the reservoir through examining the correlations between the RCFs of selected dams and related reservoirs and meteorological variables all over the world. The major findings are: (a) the correlations of the RCFs with evaporation are the opposite of those with precipitation; (b) dams and related reservoirs can have completely opposite (weakening or enhancing) effects on different meteorological variables; and (c) the RCFs outperform the geographical factors in terms of the impact on precipitation, whereas the variation of evaporation is more sensitive to geographical factors. Overall, the outcomes of this study will be useful for policymakers to have a more informed understanding of local climate change affected by large dams and related reservoirs in the future.

Hydroecological implication of long-term flow variations in the middle Paraná river floodplain

The Paraná River is ranked among the top-ten major rivers of the world. During the last century, the expansion of agriculture and the construction of large dams strongly modified the upper basin but the middle and lower sections are still among the few free-flowing river reaches of this magnitude in the world. However, the great anthropic pressure in the upper basin coupled with the climate variability of the past fifty years affected the hydrology of the lower reaches. In this study, we analyzed the hydrological characteristics of the flow regime from 1905 to 2019. Based on 10 m-resolution satellite images, we performed a cartography of the surface waters covering 15% of the Middle Paraná River floodplain and we analyzed the processes of connectivity for each 50 cm of the river height. We related the hydrological changes with the landscape analyses and discussed their potential implication on the ecosystem functioning. In other words, we highlighted how a regional disturbance in a large river basin affects some hydro-geomorphological processes several hundreds of kilometers downstream, which potentially involves long-term alterations of the structural and functional components of the biota.

Analyzing the Impact of Large Dams on Seismicity Patterns around Their Locations

AbstractDam construction is one of the most popular solutions for managing water resources. In recent years, changes in patterns of regional seismicity associated with large impoundment dams have raised concerns among environmentalists. In this study, five large dams located in Iran were studied from this perspective. The Gutenberg-Richter, linear regression and T-test were used to examine the seismic changes in the radius of 100 km of each of the dams during a twenty-five-year period before and after the construction of the dams. The results revealed that the seismicity level and relative density of large and small earthquakes in three of these dams have increased after dam construction. A significant difference between the magnitude of earthquakes, as well as the number of earthquakes before and after the construction of dams in the region, was recognized. However, the results of the T-test statistical analysis indicated that the mean depth of the earthquakes and their distance from the dams before and after construction have not changed significantly. Overall, these results indicated that the construction of large impoundment dams has been associated with some changes in patterns of regional seismicity. The findings would guide researchers to further investigate the type of impacts that dam construction may have on seismicity patterns.

Current Energy Crisis of Pakistan: Status, Impact and Potential Solutions

Energy plays an essential role in the development and economic growth of a country. A balanced energy sector leads to social development and political stability. An efficient use of available resources as well as harnessing of environmentally friendly new resources is imperative for sustainable energy development and economic stability. Alternative and clean energy resources are required to meet electricity demand and to fight against the adverse environmental problems. This research is carried out to analyze the current energy scenario of Pakistan and to identify potential solutions. Pakistan has a vast potential of renewable energy that could be utilized to overcome the energy shortage. However, unfortunately, due to lack of proper energy policies and infrastructure, this vast potential remains underutilized. Discontinuity and reversal of various national energy policies has also compounded the problem. In power sector, increased generation costs due to increased dependence on thermal generation and high line losses have resulted into increased tariffs for the consumers. This, in turn, has increased the circular debt in the energy sector. Disagreement between various provinces on construction of large dams as well as water distribution disputes with India, are key factors that have reduced the share of cheap hydropower in the national grid. The establishment of a strong energy sector utilizing indigenous energy resources is must for a prosperous Pakistan as economic growth and energy availability are interlinked. Energy Intensity, Energy Diversity, Energy Import Dependence, and Energy Transportation determine energy security. The paper analyzes current energy crisis of Pakistan in the light of above mentioned energy security parameters and explores the potential of renewable energy resources as a worthwhile alternative to fossil fuels. The analysis is based on realistic data collected from various authentic sources.

The early behaviour of concretes in large dams

Surface gradient and mass gradient thermal effects have always substantially complicated the design and construction of large concrete dams. Despite generic rules of thumb and systems to control allowable thermal gradients being developed largely empirically during the early to mid-twentieth century consequential cracking has been relatively common in large concrete dams. While this is primarily a reflection of difficulties inherent to adhering to the related requirements, realistically, a similar level of causative effect can be attributed to a poor understanding of the associated early concrete behaviour mechanisms. Through back-analysis of roller compacted concrete (RCC) and particularly RCC arch dams, a more realistic picture of the actual early thermo-mechanical behaviour of concrete was progressively developed, identifying different behaviour for different concrete compositions and particularly different cementitious materials and supplementary cementitious materials. The key behaviour parameter was defined as a stress–relaxation creep. The related findings have implications across all types of large-scale mass concrete structures and impact the way in which we should think of concrete materials and structural composition and even how we should approach mix design for mass concrete.

Substantial Declines in Salinity Observed Across the Upper Colorado River Basin During the 20th Century, 1929–2019

AbstractSalinity in the Colorado River Basin causes an estimated $300 to $400 million per year in economic damages in the United States. To inform and improve salinity‐control efforts, this study quantifies long‐term trends in salinity (dissolved solids) across the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB), including time periods prior to the construction of large dams and preceding the implementation of salinity‐control projects. Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season was used with data sets of dissolved‐solids and specific‐conductance measurements, collected as early as 1929, to evaluate long‐term trends in dissolved‐solids loads and concentrations in streams from 1929 to 2019 (n = 14). Results indicate that large, widespread, and sustained downward trends in dissolved‐solids concentrations and loads occurred over the last 50–90 years. For 12 of the 14 stream sites with significant downward change, median declines of −38% (range of −14% to −57%) and −40% (range of −9 to −65%) were observed for flow‐normalized concentration and load, respectively. Steepest rates of decline occurred from 1980 to 2000, coincident with the initiation of salinity‐control efforts in the 1980s. However, there was a consistent slowing or reversing of downward trends after 2000 even though salinity‐control efforts continued. Significant decreases in salinity occurred as early as the 1940s at some streams, indicating that, in addition to salinity‐control projects, changes in land cover, land use, and/or climate substantially affect salinity transport in the UCRB. Observed dissolved‐solids trends are likely the result of changes to watershed‐related processes, not due to changes in the streamflow regime.

Mitigating the impact of resettlement caused by infrastructure developments

In developing countries, mass relocation caused by infrastructure projects such as the construction of large dams wreaks untold havoc on peoples' lives. Although such projects can be beneficial for economies in the long run, they naturally require large areas of land. This means that people are forced to move and these people are entitled to compensation. In order to mitigate the impact of resettlement and enable those who have been displaced to resume their lives, and even thrive, it is important to establish an understanding of the factors and outcomes present in relocations. This is particularly pressing given that as the need for more hydropower and water resources is on the rise due to a growing need for solutions to mitigate climate change and to meet growing food demend, more and more land is required to support this and more and more people are therefore being displaced. Professor Ryo Fujikura, Faculty of Sustainability Studies, Hosei University, Japan, is working to help develop policies and systems for resettling displaced people. For 13 years, he worked with people who have been displaced, recording their experiences and the outcomes from resettlements and he is now using this experience to provide guidance for future infrastructure projects. His research tends to target people who have been resettled for more than 20 years, as the process of resettlement has long-term impacts. Ultimately, he is keen to contribute to the concept of 'migration with dignity' of displaced people by sea level rising due to climate change, enabling them to successfully reconstruct their lives and, more than this, to flourish.

Challenges of Water Sensitive Cities in Mexico: The Case of the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara

Mexico is currently facing important water management challenges. Cities in the country are facing water scarcity and at the same time they struggle with floods during the raining season. The water sensitive urban design (WSUD) approach has proved to be helpful around the world in tackling urban water challenges such as floods or water scarcity. The WSUD approach highlights the role of both the water cycle and the water utilities systems, when transitioning towards a water sensitive stage. Therefore, the objective of this research is to demonstrate the relevance for cities of a WSUD approach by analyzing the current situation of the water cycle and the water utility in the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara (MAG). This research proposes a case study approach. Within our case of study, we focused on the water cycle and the water utilities system (Sistema Intermunicipal de los Servicios de Agua Potable y Alcantarillado (SIAPA)) and ask two questions: (1) What are the causes of water scarcity and flooding in the MAG? and (2) What are the proposals to solve these problems under a WSUD approach? By answering these questions, we identified that the water management in the MAG corresponds to a single purpose infrastructure. This type of water management is common in developing cities and does not contribute to solve the problems of water scarcity and floods. The water supply policy is based only on the construction of large dams disregarding the storage and use of rainwater, and reuse of greywater, and water-conservation devices. In order to transition towards a water sensitive stage, changes in the water policy need to take place and a WSUD approach that includes multi-purpose infrastructure, should be considered.

Determination of the amount of Sanitary Water Flow from Dams based on the Quality of Drinking Water: A Case Study, Taleghan River, Iran

Background: Given the crisis of water shortage and the industrial development in Iran, comprehensive water-resource management and planning to handle the water quality of the rivers are the critical issues to tackle with. The concentration of river pollutants is a function of both the quantity and quality of the river flow regime. In this regard, the construction of large dams leads to quantitative and qualitative changes in downstream rivers. These changes are effective in the health of the river water for uses such as drinking, agriculture, and industry. Therefore, in addition to the quantity of water needs of rivers, their quality needs to be also considered. Objectives: This study aimed to analyze issues related to the sanitary water flow of large dams. Our case study was the Taleghan River dam, Alborz Province, Iran, on which Taleghan reservoir was built to supply some part of the water needed by Greater Tehran, Iran. Methods: This study examined a 22-km long section of the river at the riffle of Taleghan Dam in Alborz Province (103 km from Karaj), Iran. The average annual and monthly discharges of the river in four 6-km-apart stations were estimated. The statistics of eight hydrometric stations and a discharge-surface method were used to calculate the average annual discharge of each sub-basin downstream of Taleghan Dam. Moreover, the discharge non-dimensionalization method, along with the observational statistics of the index station, was used to calculate the average monthly discharge in the examined stations. The Hydrologic Engineering Centers River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) software (version 4.0) was then utilized to determine the values ​​of river flow rates hydraulically. Additionally, water quality parameters were compared with the standard concentrations proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) for drinking-water quality to examine possible changes in pollutant concentrations during the study. Correlation and regression statistical tests in SPSS software (version 24) were then used to analyze the relationship between discharge and pollutant concentration. Results: The experimental equation of Q = 0.0372A0.8641 was obtained to estimate the discharge based on the sub-basins area using the discharge-surface method. The average annual discharge at stations 2, 3, and 4 (B, C, and D) were estimated at 1.39, 2.11, and 3.39 m3/s, respectively, using this equation. Subsequently, the average monthly discharges in the studied stations in September were calculated at 0.21, 0.29, and 0.46 m3/s, respectively. Afterward, the discharge was measured using HEC-RAS software (version 4.0) in the same month at 0.34, 0.44, 0, and 0.62 m3/s, respectively. The examination of water quality values from ​​among the 17 water quality parameters revealed that physicochemical elements, pH concentration, lead (Pb), and electrical conductivity were higher than the standard concentration of drinking water proposed by the WHO. Conclusion: A model was presented to estimate sanitary water flow by performing correlation tests and linear regression calculations between the river discharge at the dam downstream and the concentration of water quality parameters. According to the proposed model, the minimum flow of sanitary water was estimated at 1.82 m3/s to be considered to release from the dam in the driest month of the year. Therefore, the release of water as the minimum flow of sanitary water less than 1.82 m3/s was not allowed in any other month of the year.

Determination of the amount of Sanitary Water Flow from Dams based on the Quality of Drinking Water: A Case Study, Taleghan River, Iran

Introduction: Given the crisis of water shortage and the industrial development in Iran, comprehensive water-resource management, planning, and serious handling of water quality of the rivers in Iran are the critical issues to tackle with. The concentration of river pollutants is a function of both the quantity and quality of the river flow regime. In this regard, the construction of large dams leads to quantitative and qualitative changes in downstream rivers. These changes are effective in the health of the river environment for such uses as drinking, agriculture, and industry. Accordingly, it is essential to consider the quality of river water in addition to the amount of river water needs. Materials and Methods: This study examined a 22-km long section of the river at the riffle of Taleghan Dam in Alborz Province (103 km from Karaj), Iran. The average annual and monthly discharges of the river in four 6-km-apart stations were estimated. The statistics of eight hydrometric stations and a discharge-surface method were used to calculate the average annual discharge of each sub-basin downstream of Taleghan Dam. Moreover, the discharge non-dimensionalization method, along with the observational statistics of the index station, was used to calculate the average monthly discharge in the examined stations. The Hydrologic Engineering Centers River Analysis System (RAS-HEC) software was then utilized to determine the values ​​of river flow rates hydraulically. Additionally, water quality parameters were compared with the standard concentrations proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) for drinking-water quality to examine possible changes in pollutant concentrations during the study. Correlation and regression statistical tests in SPSS software (version 24) were then used to analyze the relationship between discharge and pollutant concentration. Results: The experimental equation of Q = 0.0372A0.8641 was obtained to estimate the discharge based on the sub-basins area using the discharge-surface method. The average annual discharge at stations 2, 3, and 4 (B, C, and D) were estimated at 1.39, 2.11, and 3.39 m3/s, respectively, using this equation. Subsequently, the average monthly discharges in the studied stations in September were calculated at 0.21, 0.29, and 0.46 m3/s, respectively. Afterward, the discharge was measured using HEC-RAS software in the same month at 0.34, 0.44, 0, and 0.62 m3/s, respectively. The examination of water quality values from ​​among the 17 water quality parameters revealed that physicochemical elements, pH concentration, lead (Pb), and electrical conductivity were higher than the standard concentration of drinking water proposed by the WHO. Conclusion: A model was presented to estimate sanitary water flow by performing correlation tests and linear regression calculations between the river discharge at the dam downstream and the concentration of water quality parameters. According to the proposed model, the minimum flow of sanitary water was estimated at 1.82 m3/s to be considered to release from the dam in the driest month of the year. Therefore, the release of water as the minimum flow of sanitary water less than 1.82 m3/s was not allowed in any other month of the year.

Os impactos socioambientais e suas ameaças ao modo de vida das comunidades tradicionais de fundo de pasto na Bahia

O presente artigo se propõe a analisar os impactos socioambientais empreendidos por diversos projetos de modernização e de expropriação das terras de uso comum das comunidades tradicionais de fundo de pasto no estado da Bahia. O fundo de pasto, assim autodenominado por seus ocupantes, tem o seu modo de vida pautado no uso comunitário da terra, com a ausência de cercas, para criação extensiva de animais e para o extrativismo de frutas, essas por sua vez, são consumidas e comercializadas por esses moradores. Essas áreas estão localizadas, sobretudo, no bioma caatinga, tendo a sua maior concentração nas regiões Norte e Nordeste da Bahia e, de modo geral, enfrentam diversos problemas referentes à garantia da posse da terra, que remontam à Lei de Terras de 1850 e a diversas legislações posteriores, que não ampararam o seu modo de utilização comunitária da terra. Além da ausência de cercas, também praticam a preservação ambiental, uma vez que não utilizam o desmatamento, nem a caça predatória. A partir da década de 1970, essas comunidades vêm enfrentando uma série de conflitos motivados principalmente, pela incursão da grilagem em suas terras objetivando a concentração fundiária e a implantação de projetos modernizantes, como a construção de grandes barragens, a implantação de parques eólicos e de mineradoras, que têm causado impactos diversos no cotidiano dessas comunidades.

Characteristics of sedimentation and channel adjustment linked to the Three Gorges Reservoir

Construction of large dams is attractive because of their great benefits in flood control, hydropower generation, water resources utilization, navigation improvement, etc. However, dam construction may bring some negative impacts on sediment transport and channel dynamics adjustments. Due to the effects of recent water and soil conservation projects, sediment retention in the newly constructed large upstream reservoirs, and other factors, the sedimentation in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) is quite different from the amount previously predicted in the demonstration stage. Consequently, based on the measured data, characteristics of sedimentation and the related channel deformation in the TGR were analyzed. The results imply that sediment transport tended to be reduced after the Three Gorges Project (TGP). Sedimentation slowed dramatically after 2013 and indicated obvious seasonal characteristics. Due to the rising water level in the TGR in the flood season, the yearly sediment export ratio (Eratio) was prone to decrease. The water level near the dam site should be reasonably regulated according to the flow discharge to improve the sediment delivery capacity and reduce sedimentation in the TGR, and to try to avoid situations where the flood retention time is close to 444 h. The depositional belt was discontinuous in the TGR and was mainly distributed in the broad reaches, and only slight erosion or deposition occurred in the gorge reaches. Sedimentation in the broad and gorge reaches accounted for 93.8% and 6.2% of the total sedimentation, respectively. The estuarine reach located in the fluctuating backwater area experienced alternate erosion-deposition, with a slight accumulative deposition in the curved reach. Sedimentation mainly occurred in the perennial backwater area. The insight gained in this study can be conducive to directly understanding of large reservoir sedimentation and mechanism of channel adjustment in the reservoir region in the main channel of large river.