Linkage between Three Gorges Dam impacts and the dramatic recessions in China’s largest freshwater lake, Poyang Lake

• DOI: 10.1038/srep18197
• Publication Date: 2015-12-11T10:39:51Z
• Authors: Xuefei Mei; Zhijun Dai; Jinzhou Du; Jiyu Chen
• Keywords: Three gorges; Lake ecosystem

Abstract Despite comprising a small portion of the earth’s surface, lakes are vitally important for global ecosystem cycling. However, lake systems worldwide extremely fragile and many shrinking due to changing climate anthropogenic activities. Here, we show that Poyang Lake, largest freshwater in China, has experienced dramatic prolonged recession, which began late September 2003. We further demonstrate abnormally low levels appear during October, 28 days ahead normal initiation dry season, greatly imperiled lake’s wetland areas function as an wintering waterbirds. An increase river-lake water level gradient induced by Three Gorges Dam (TGD) altered balance inducing greater discharge into Changjiang River, is probably responsible current shrinkage. Occasional episodes arid climate, well local sand mining, will aggravate recession crisis. Although impacts TGD on Lake can be overruled episodic extreme droughts, argue average contributions precipitation variation, human activities catchment regulation quantified 39.1%, 4.6% 56.3%, respectively.