Environmental consequences of the Sanmenxia Hydropower Station operation in lower Yellow River, China

The ecological and environmental impacts of the Sanmenxia Hydropower Station on the lower reach of the Yellow River, China, were studied based on the monitoring data, since the 1970s, of the Sanmenxia Hydropower Station's normal operation. Different operation modes of the reservoir were considered in addition to the effects of tributaries downstream of Sanmenxia. Total ion content (TIC) in the lower Yellow River changed significantly with variations in flow discharge and the TIC coming from upstream. The severity level of no-flow events was dominated by flow discharged from the Sanmenxia Hydropower Station. Flows coming from the tributaries also modified the consequences of hydropower development to a certain degree. New modes for hydropower station operation were proposed for decreasing TIC and the severity level of the no-flow events, from which multiple objectives such as power generation, irrigation, and flood prevention could be further harmonized.