Influence of the impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir on hydrothermal conditions for fish habitat in the Yangtze River

The thermal regimes of rivers play an important role in the overall health of aquatic ecosystems. Modifications to water temperature regimes resulting from dams and reservoirs have important consequences for river ecosystems. This study investigates the impacts of the impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) on the water temperature regime of fish spawning habitats in the middle reach of the Yangtze River, China. Mike 11 model is used to analyze the temporal and spatial variation of water temperatures of the expanse of 400 km along the river, from Yichang to Chenglingji. The water temperature alterations caused by the operation of the TGR are assessed with river temperature metrics. The impact on spawning habitats due to water temperature variation was also discussed in different impoundments of the TGR. The results show that the TGR has significantly altered the downstream water temperature regime, affecting the baseline deviation and phase shift of the water temperature. Such impacts on the thermal regime of the river varied with the impoundment level. The effects of the TGR on the water temperature regime decreased as the distance from the structure to the sample site increased. The water temperature regime alterations have led to the delay of the spawning times of the four famous major carp (FFMC) species. The results could be used to identify the magnitudes of water temperature alterations induced by reservoirs in the Yangtze River and provide useful information to design ecological operations for the protection of river ecosystem integrity in regulated rivers.

Automated summary

This study investigates the impacts of the impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir on the water temperature regime of fish spawning habitats in the middle reach of the Yangtze River. The results show that the reservoir significantly alters the downstream water temperature environment, leading to delayed spawning times for fish.