Water levels at the Two Gorges in China near maximum after flooding rain

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Water levels at China’s Giant Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River are nearing their maximum after torrential rains raised currents to a record high, official data showed Friday.

With 75,000 cubic meters per second of water flowing from the Yangtze River on Thursday, the depths of the reservoir reached 165.6 meters by Friday morning, up more than 2 meters last night and almost 20 meters higher than the official warning level.

The maximum design depth of China’s largest reservoir is 175 meters.

Authorities on Thursday raised the discharge volume to a record 48,800 cubic meters per second to try to lower the water levels, and they may have to raise it again to prevent the possibility of a dangerous flood.

“They will do everything they can to prevent the dam from overflowing,” said Desiree Tullos, a professor at Oregon State University who is studying the Three Gorges project.

“A dam for overheating is a scenario in the worst case, because it throws up significant damage … and can lead to the whole thing collapsing.”

The rainfall in the Yangtze Basin has been well above double the seasonal average this year. The floods last week caused nearly 180 billion yuan ($ 26 billion) in economic damage, and 63 million people were affected.

The Three Gorges Project, completed in 2012, was designed not only to generate power, but also to tame the fierce Yangtze, the cause of many devastating floods in China’s history.

China’s giant hydroelectric dams have stored more than 100 billion cubic meters of floodwater this year, protecting 18.5 million residents from evacuation, according to government figures. The Three Gorges project alone has cut streams by 34%, officials said.

But opponents say the capacity for flooding of the Three Gorges Dam is limited, and it could reduce the problem even in the long run.