Intro
    While the Three Gorges dam is a project which the Chinese government hopes will prove China to be a capitalist force, many ecological problems have surfaced that make many question if construction on the dam should even be continued. The Yangtze is China's longest river, and many believe that the construction of Three Gorges could lead to serious environmental problems in the Three Gorges area, as well as effects on China's environment as a whole. Although numerous studies have been done on the environmental impact of Three Gorges, none of these predicted effects can be proven until after completion of the dam. The government holds high hopes, but ecologists and environmentalists alike feel that this information is not only optimistic to say the least, but also unproved, and therefore, not worth the risk.

Siltation
    Siltation is always a concern with any damn construction. However, many new technologies have been uncovered that help to alleviate siltation problems that could render the dam completely useless, and put many people at risk. Imagine for a moment what siltation could do to a dam like Three Gorges. Silt that would normally travel safely through the Yangtze and into the Yellow Sea is trapped by the dam. A collection of silt begins to form, and, after several years, the water has no other option than to go around the dam, rendering the structure completely useless. Thankfully, the technology that China has today is able to remove much of the silt from within 100 meters of the dam through silt scouring gates that open during the flood season to let the mass amounts of water through (hence lessening the chance of flooding). A problem still remains: these silt scouring gates have never been tested on a dam so large or on this section of the Yangtze. The water moves slowly, which is different from those other dams where the silt scouring gates are present. The velocity of the water seems to be an essential part to the success of the silt gates. The velocity of the water propels the silt and other debris, and if the velocity is low, the chance for silt build-up heightens. These gates will only be able to be tested when the dam is completed, and the government can only hope that its calculations were correct.

Agricultural Production
    Although silt deposits are dangerous to the health of a river and the usefulness of a dam, silt itself is necessary. Silt is a naturally occurring phenomenon, and consists of soil, gravel and rocks, mostly coming from soil erosion on land. Perhaps the most important thing that is contained in silt are essential nutrients for agricultural needs. Once Three Gorges is completed, there is fear that the farmers situated down river from the dam will have crops that lack important nutrients, therefore decreasing production significantly. The government plans to make major tributaries to the Yangtze produce the amount of silt that is important to production. It is likely that these the river bottoms of these tributaries will be scoured, creating an additional source of silt.

Erosion and the Yellow Sea
    Erosion is also a key factor in the problems of Three Gorges. Many dams around the world have provoked a problem with coastal erosion, and Three Gorges doesn't seem to be heading in a different direction. The problem starts when clear water is forced out of the river mouth and carried along the coast. This clear water erodes the coast and this erosion can cause problems far beyond the boundaries of Three Gorges, and could also cause serious problems along China's coastal cities and towns. The Chinese government does not expect this to be a problem due to the high rate of siltation they are expecting to be present, but if any of these silt increasing actions fail or are called off, China could be faced with serious problems.

Earthquakes
    The Three Gorges area is affected by many small earthquakes yearly, but most range from 1-2 on the Richter scale. However, once the dam is completed, these levels are expected to rise to earthquakes that will be 5-6 on the Richter scale. While technology allows the dam to tolerate earthquakes that are 7-8 on the Richter scale, if there is any miscalculation, there would be complete disaster.

Species Lost
    There are many species that call the Yangtze and the Three Gorges area home, and at least three species will be negatively affected by the construction of the dam. The Siberian Crane is one example. Half of the total population of Siberian crane calls Three Gorges their home for the low water time of the Yangtze, and after the completion of the dam, these cranes may be without food for the time they are there. The cranes eat aquatic weeds that are rooted to the bottom of lakes. Now, with the reservoir keeping the flow of water steady, these lakes (which are filled by the Yangtze) will now have a much higher depth, thus not allowing the cranes to feed. These birds are already endangered (with less than 2,000 birds total) and this change could be devastating to their species. Along with the crane, several other species are in trouble, including: the Yangtze sturgeon, the Yangtze freshwater dolphin, and several species of flora.
 
 

The ecological problems could be debilitating to the Chinese people as well as many species of flora and fauna. It is true that these problems cannot yet be proven, but is it wise to wait until disaster strikes to fix the problem? Above even the ecological impacts are the problems that will plague the people of the Three Gorges area. Even if the environment survives, our main concern is whether the people will.