Jin Chen Evolution and Water Resources Utilization of the Yangtze River Evolution and Water Resources Utilization of the Yangtze River Jin Chen Evolution and Water Resources Utilization of the Yangtze River Jin Chen Changjiang Water Resources Commission Changjiang River Science Research Institute Wuhan, Hubei, China The edition is not for sale in the Mainland of China. Customers from the Mainland of China, please order the print book from: Changjiang Press (Wuhan) Co.,Ltd. ISBN 978-981-13-7871-3 ISBN 978-981-13-7872-0 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7872-0 © Changjiang Press (Wuhan) Co.,Ltd. & Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publishers, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publishers, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publishers nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publishers remain neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. The registered company address is: 152 Beach Road, #21-01/04 Gateway East, Singapore 189721, Singapore v Preface I The Yangtze (Changjiang) River, which originates from the snow-capped mountains and runs thousands of kilometers into the East China Sea, is the longest river in Asia and the third longest in the world. With its mainstream flowing through China’s 11 provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities, the river is the cradle of the Chinese civilization and has supported its socioeconomic development. Since it came from the ancient times, it has frequently undergone, sometimes great, changes. In the past trillions of years, it has experienced headward erosion, uplifting, and cutting, cut through the Wu Mountains, traversed the Yunmeng Mountain, and connected the Han River and thousands of large and small lakes into the river. Influenced by the monsoon climate, she suffers flooding in summer and low water in winter, demonstrating the complexity and variability of the environ- ment. Low in the east and high in the west, the watershed of the river has various vegetative landscapes and provides habitats to hundreds of fish species, including rare species such as the Yangtze River dolphin (or baiji) and the Chinese alligator. As a result, the river has provided mankind with an abundance of natural resources. Water is essential to life. In the past thousands of years, people have lived by water bodies in order to perform various activities, namely, slash-and-burn farming, construction of hydraulic projects for flood control, and hydroelectric power gen- eration. One of the projects was the Three Gorges Project, which led to the “rising of a vast lake within high gorges.” Upon seeing the lake, we felt that was as “amaz- ing as a World Wonder.” However, with the rapid socioeconomic development in China, the following ecological and environmental problems emerged in the Yangtze River basin: defor- estation, soil erosion, landslides, sedimentation, river-lake separation, wetland loss, endangered species, water pollution, cyanobacteria outbreaks, etc. For survival and development, human transformation of nature appears to be indisputable. Without the Dujiangyan Water Conservancy Project, there would have never been the prosperity of the Chengdu Plain. However, it is difficult to achieve harmonious existence between human and nature. In recent years, research and dis- cussion of human activities on their living environment have become a hotspot in science and society. Undoubtedly, human activities have been affecting or altering vii viii Preface I certain natural processes, and the consequences are self-evident. However, the 5000-year history of human civilization is only a split second compared to the his- tory of the earth’s evolution, which has spanned billions of years. Thus, human activities are only a part of the earth’s evolutionary process. Therefore, without the knowledge of the evolutionary history of the earth, one cannot appropriately under- stand the impact of human activities, making it impossible to mitigate the impact or develop an appropriate plan for the future. With a broad vision and new ideas, the author of The Yangtze River: Evolution and Water Resources Utilization has discussed the relationship between the natural revolution of the Yangtze River and the human utilization of water resources from a multidisciplinary perspective, including geology, physical geography, ecology, hydrology, and hydraulic engineering. Additionally, the author has presented the definition, connotation, and research scope of the watershed ecosystem. This book has important theoretical and practical values for evaluating the evolution of the Yangtze River ecosystem and assessing the environmental impact of hydraulic proj- ects. However, to know and understand the Yangtze River, a lot of work will still need to be done. I hope that the author will continue his efforts in this area not only to fill the gap in China’s watershed ecosystem research but also to provide scientific and technical support for the protection and integrated management of the ecologi- cal environment of the Yangtze River watershed. President, National Natural Science Foundation of China Chen Yiyu Member of Chinese Academy of Sciences Signed in Beijing in October 2012 Preface II The Yangtze River has the largest watershed area in China. It encompasses south- western, central, and eastern China with a total drainage area of approximately 1.8 million square kilometers. The river traverses the entire three-step topographic stair- case that stretches across China from the west to the east. As the world’s third lon- gest river, its mainstream travels a total distance of more than 6300 kilometers through the following provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities, Qinghai, Tibet, Yunnan, Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, and Shanghai, and its tributaries extend to the following eight provinces or autonomous regions: Gansu, Shaanxi, Henan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, and Zhejiang. As the Yangtze River basin possesses rich and varied river landforms, complex ecosystem, and enormous renewable water resources, it facilitates water supply, irrigation, hydropower generation, navigation, etc. and sustains the socio- economic development within the watershed. Due to continuous population growth and uneven spatial and temporal distribution of the precipitation and runoff within the watershed, the river basin has experienced frequent flood and drought hazards throughout history. People in the river basin have begun water resources develop- ment activities such as flood control, drought relief, river regulation, and water diversion for irrigation since the Spring and Autumn Period. Especially, since the 1950s, the construction of large river and lake improvements projects and water resources development projects nationwide, as well as within the Yangtze River basin, has ensured that China’s rapid socioeconomic development maintains to advance and people’s standard of living within the watershed continues to be improved. With the completion of the Three Gorges Project and other control reservoirs in the twenty-first century, the flood control situation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River has significantly improved, and a flood control engineering system has been established. This system is based on dikes coupled with control reservoirs as a major control means and retention/diversion zones as the final safe- guard measure. Additionally, further improved reservoir, irrigation, water supply, and hydropower facilities within the river basin continue to meet the needs of the rapid socioeconomic growth within the river basin. Therefore, great achievements ix x Preface II have been accomplished in the development and utilization of water resources and the regulation of rivers and lakes within the Yangtze River basin. With China’s rapid socioeconomic development, increased improvements of people’s standard of living, and public concern about ecological and environmental issues and the desire to improve the quality of life, the public has become more aware about the impact of water resources development and utilization projects on the ecological environment of the river basin while reaping the benefits of the hydraulic projects. The concern is natural and reasonable, and constructive com- ments will be beneficial for scientific development, conservation, and management of the water resources within the watershed. Presently, a large number of hydroelec- tric projects are being constructed