Yichang Ge Zhou Dam, China

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Ge Zhou Dam

Ge Zhou Dam Lock is located in Jianghan Plain near City of Yichang. This is the end of the magnificent Three Gorges of Yangtze River. This section of the Yangtze River are wider and the water in much calmer.

Gezhou Dam is once a little island. It divided the Yangtze River into three flow ways. The two big gates of Gezhou Dam are higher than 20 people stand on top of each other and bigger than a basketball field. They are called "the greatest gate in the world".

The dam is 2561 meters long, 70 meters high and 30 meters wide. It has 27 sluices and it can release water with the speed of 110,000 cube meters per second. It can control 1,000,000 square kilometers water area, that is the half of Yangtze River's total capacity. This is the largest dam in China, also largest in the world.

The dam was accomplished in 1988. It is a constructed with many functions, it will utilize the sources of Yangtze River. For instance, power generation, shipping, releasing the flood and irrigation. When completed, the water level are 20 meters higher than before, and more than 100 kilometers water can flow back to the upper stream.

There are three main sluices on the dam to insure the control of the flood would take place properly. The dam also improves the level of river transport, from current 4,000,000 tons to 50,000,000 tons. The No.2 sluice is one of the few giant sluices in the world. The dam also has two sand sluices so that the sand will not block the flow way when great flood comes.

If the ship from the upper stream wants to go down, the dam will open the sluices and has the water flow in from the upper stream. When the water level in the dam reach the height of the upper stream, the ship then enter the dam. Then the dam will begin to shut down the water.

When the water level in the dam is lower to the height of the lower stream, the ship can then sail out the dam. If the ship from the lower stream want to go up, is just the opposite.

Though the Guzhou Dam is not as great as the Three Gorges Dam, it has the same capability as the Three Gorges Dam. Before finishing the tour of the Three Gorges, Guzhou Dam is a graceful scenic spot that can't be ignored.