At a cost of 4 billion yuan, the largest water conservancy project in China at that time, the Sanmenxia Dam, was built in 1957 but is now known as the most failed water conservancy project. Why has it not been demolished yet?Why does everyone have to remove the heart that has been beating for decades now? What role does its existence play?Disputed Sanmenxia DamThe Sanmenxia Dam has been controversial since its construction

At a cost of 4 billion yuan, the largest water conservancy project in China at that time, the Sanmenxia Dam, was built in 1957 but is now known as the most failed water conservancy project. Why has it not been demolished yet?

Why does everyone have to remove the heart that has been beating for decades now? What role does its existence play?

Disputed Sanmenxia Dam

The Sanmenxia Dam has been controversial since its construction.Even the Deputy Director of the Water Resources Department of Shaanxi Province once said that the problems in the Sanmenxia Reservoir Area have been troubling for a whole 40 years, and the various contradictions caused by this have been unsolvable in our province. The source of all this is that Sanmenxia only cares about the downstream and disregards the upstream interests.On the issue of the Sanmenxia Dam, many parties have been arguing endlessly. If that's the case, why did the Three Gorges Dam need to be built in the first place?

At the beginning of its establishment, the Sanmenxia Dam had many problems. The site selection requires the surrounding residents to relocate their homeland, which not only changes their living habits but also poses great difficulties for their survival.The construction of the Sanmenxia Dam has led to the inundation of a large number of houses and land, including many scenic spots and historical sites, which have a significant impact on the residents and ecological environment in the upstream area. The impact of the Wei River Basin is particularly prominent, causing the water level of the Wei River boundary to rise, farmland to be submerged, and land salinization.

There are different demands and contradictions between upstream and downstream, and Shaanxi Province feels unfair and harbors hatred towards Henan Province, both of which are impacting the Sanmenxia Dam.Local residents in Shaanxi Province have strong opposition and resistance towards the Sanmenxia Dam. The destruction of the local ecological environment has led to various problems such as soil erosion, river siltation, wetland degradation, and groundwater level decline. The impoundment also caused a large amount of sand to be stored in the dam area, resulting in a decrease in downstream water volume. In addition, the wetlands in the region have also suffered severe degradation, causing the disappearance of some original ecological species in the Yellow River Basin and disrupting the balance of the ecosystem.

When floods occur, various conflicts intensify particularly, and conflicts and debates continue to occur between Shaanxi and Henan. The spectacle of the "suspended river" and frequent floods directly threaten the safety of the local people. People with extreme ideas even advocate for directly blowing up the dam.

Why did the Sanmenxia Dam, which poses such a great threat, be built in the first place?

At the beginning of its establishment, there were many obstacles

When the Sanmenxia Dam was initially decided to be built, it faced strong protests, especially in Shaanxi Province. At that time, the project was unanimously approved at the Second National People's Congress, but it was also heavily criticized.At that time, Huang Wanli and Wen Shanzhang strongly opposed this. One was a water conservancy expert from Tsinghua University, and the other was an intern from the General Administration of Hydropower.

Facts have proven that their concerns are also correct. Currently, 1.5 billion tons of sediment have become part of the dam, and some areas have also formed swamps, which has a significant impact on the economy and people's livelihood of Shaanxi Province.Regarding this, Shaanxi Province has been demanding a solution to the Sanmenxia Dam issue and the talk of dismantling it is becoming increasingly high.

Although the Yellow River is the mother river of China, it has always had huge hidden dangers. This problem has existed since ancient times, and in order to solve it, the Sanmenxia Dam emerged. Dams have brought enormous benefits to China's economy and development, and have played a significant role in many aspects.

Flooding has always been a serious problem in the Yellow River Basin, and the emergence of dams has effectively curbed this disaster, ensuring the lives and property of people in downstream areas.

It is reported that the economic cost of intercepting floods and protecting the dam each year far exceeds the economic cost of maintaining the dam.The electricity generated by the dam is very important, as it not only meets the local electricity demand, but also makes significant contributions to other regions of China through power transmission.

It was an important power guarantee for China's development and construction back then, with a good control effect on the water volume of the Yellow River. It stored a large amount of irrigation water resources for agriculture in downstream areas, and played a significant role in improving the water quality and soil environment downstream. It can also help local residents improve their living standards.According to data, there has been a significant increase in grain and fishery production in the area around the Sanmenxia Reservoir, which is of great help to the local economy.

What measures have been taken to address the issue of the Sanmenxia Dam

At the beginning, when the dam was built, it was designed and built with the help of Soviet experts in China, which laid great hidden dangers for the dam.It's not that the Soviet Union's technology is poor, but rather that when designing this dam, there was little consideration given to the local actual situation and sediment issues were not taken into account.In response to the issue of the Sanmenxia Dam, as the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, it was not demolished or destroyed, but rather resolved through corresponding adjustments.

The first solution to the problem of the Sanmenxia Dam in China was to raise the banks on both sides of the river. However, this method can only solve temporary problems and is not a long-term solution. It will still lead to continuous outbreaks of floods, causing a series of hazards and displacement of many farmers.

Faced with this situation, China has decided to renovate the dam. For the first time, explosives were used to blast two holes and four pipes at the bottom of the dam to release water and sand. This method has indeed had a certain effect, but over time, it is difficult to solve the problem of resisting pressure. For this reason, our country has blasted 8 more holes to strengthen the capacity of flood discharge and sand discharge, but the effect is still poor.

The establishment and use of the Xiaolangdi Reservoir have greatly alleviated this situation. Subsequently, Guxian County and Luhun Reservoir were added, and the three parties jointly conducted scheduling, effectively improving the problem of the Sanmenxia Dam.

Other water conservancy projects in China

The fundamental goal of its establishment is to improve and restore the ecological environment in northern China. The entire project spans six provinces and 300 cities of different scales. The scale of the project is a highlight of China's water conservancy projects.

The Three Gorges Dam is only one word different from the Sanmenxia Dam. Its scale is several times that of the Three Gorges Dam. It is the largest water conservancy project in History of China. At the beginning of its establishment, it shocked the world even more, targeting the backbone of the Yangtze River region and bringing significant benefits to China.In addition to these two landmark projects, China also has Gezhouba Dam, Baise Key Reservoir and other projects, which are important supports for the title of "infrastructure mania" in China.

Summary:

The construction of the Sanmenxia Dam is accompanied by losses and risks, and overall, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. With the development of technology and the advancement of water conservancy engineering technology, it is believed that the Sanmenxia Dam will become better and better in the future, and the problems will be solved, continuing to make contributions to China's water conservancy construction.So, what is everyone's opinion on whether the Sanmenxia Dam will be bombed or left behind?

Disclaimer: The content of this article is sourced from the internet. The copyright of the text, images, and other materials belongs to the original author. The platform reprints the materials for the purpose of conveying more information. The content of the article is for reference and learning only, and should not be used for commercial purposes. If it infringes on your legitimate rights and interests, please contact us promptly and we will handle it as soon as possible! We respect copyright and are committed to protecting it. Thank you for sharing.(Email:[email protected])