5.1 Construction of the Gezhouba Dam
After the operation of the Gezhouba Water Control Project in 1981, the
low sediment-content water released from the reservoir caused
long-distance erosion downstream of the dam. The scour mainly occurred
in the upper Jingjiang River, especially in the Zhijiang River section
closest to the dam. From 1980 to 1985, the erosion quantity was 31.84
million m3 in the Zhijiang reach, accounting for
81.5% of the Jingjiang River. In the Zhicheng-Shashi reach, the value
of the comprehensive connectivity function increased rapidly after 1980,
from 0.8 in 1980 to 1.0 in 1992, which may be related to the application
of the Gezhouba Water Storage (Fig. 8).