Xinhua
October 25, 2006

The water level in the Three Gorges reservoir is expected to rise to 156 meters on Friday, said information from China Yangtze River Three Gorges Project Development Corporation. At 10 a.m. on Thursday, the water level behind the Three Gorges Dam reached 154.95-meter mark, a rise of 19.45 meters since September 20, when the water level started to rise. Recent rainfall in the valley of the Yangtze River at its upper reaches has led to increased water flow into the Three Gorges Reservoir, said an official with the Three Gorges Tiered Control Center. In accordance with the original water storage plan, the water level in the Three Gorges reservoir was expected to rise to 156 meters between Oct.15-20. China Yangtze River Three Gorges Project Development Corporation, the developer of the project, says the water storage plan missed its planned deadline for reaching the 156 meter mark due to droughts that hit upstream areas including southwestern Sichuan province and neighboring Chongqing municipality. Information from the center for safety monitoring with the China Yangtze River Three Gorges Project Development Corporation said data from 10,200 monitoring devices planted in the Three Gorges Dam suggest the gigantic concrete structure, completed in May, remains stable.