Banqiao Dam
The Banqiao Reservoir Dam (
History
Construction
Construction of the Banqiao dam began in April 1951 on the Ru River with the help of Soviet consultants as part of a project to control
Cracks in the dam and sluice gates appeared after completion due to construction and engineering errors. They were repaired with the advice from Soviet engineers and the new design, dubbed the iron dam, was considered unbreakable.
Whistle-blower
1975 Banqiao Dam failure
In August 1975, the Banqiao dam collapsed, creating the third-largest flood in history which affected a total population of 10.15 million and inundated around 30 cities and counties of 12,000 square kilometers (or 3 million acres), with an estimated death toll ranging from tens of thousands to 240,000.
Reconstruction
Within eleven years of the dam failure, the lower reach of the River Ru, esp.
The reconstructed Banqiao Reservoir controls a catchment area of 768 km2 (297 sq mi). The maximum reserve capacity is 675 million m3 (178 billion gallons), a capacity increase of 34% above the capacity of the failed dam. The effective storage is 256 million m3 (67.6 billion gallons) and the corresponding normal high water level is 111.5 m (366 ft) above sea level. The flood control storage is 457 million m3 (121 billion gallons). The dam is made of clay and is 3,720 m (12,200 ft) long and 50.5 m (166 ft) high. The dam crest level is 120 m (390 ft) above sea level. The maximum discharge of the reservoir is 15,000 m3 (530,000 cu ft) per second.
Legacy
After the disaster of the Banqiao dam failure, the Chinese government became very focused on surveillance, repair, and consolidation of reservoir dams. China has 87,000 reservoirs across the country; most of which were built in the 1950s–1970s using low construction standards. Most of these reservoirs are in serious disrepair, posing challenges to the prevention and control of flood-triggered geological disasters in areas with a population of 130 million or more. China's medium and small rivers are considered to be the
See also
References
- ^ Thayer Watkins. "The Catastrophic Dam Failures in China in August 1975". San Jose State University. Retrieved 2013-11-25.
- ^ ""China Costs Huge Investments to Repair Reservoirs" by Xinhua Agency on Oct 13, 2010". Archived from the original on November 7, 2012.
External links
- Human Rights Watch report
- Excerpt from Silenced Rivers: The Ecology and Politics of Large Dams, by Patrick McCully
- A Procedure for Estimating Loss of Life Caused by Dam Failure (PDF)
- Flood and Drought in the History, Hydrology Department of Henan (Simplified Chinese)
- The Worst Dam Failure in the World, The Truth of the Failure of Ban Qiao Dam, Henan (Simplified Chinese) (Translated)
- Typhoon Nina Track
- The River Dragon Has Come!: The Three Gorges Dam and the Fate of China's Yangtze River and Its People
- transcript:four-episode documentary film: Remember the Flood in August 1975