In 2006, the Three Gorges Project had steady progress with fulfillment of all major objectives in time. The comprehensive benefits of the project in such areas as flood control, power generation and navigation emerged in an all round way.

The Three Gorges reservoir area continued its rapid social and economic development in 2006. Local GDP grew by 13.1% compared with that of 2005 according to comparable price. The industrial structure of the reservoir area continued optimizing with steady growth of the output of each industry and rising living standard. Public health was basically good.

In 2006, the temperature of the Three Gorges reservoir area was abnormally higher than the historical average with evident less precipitation due to the impacts of global warming and abnormal atmospheric circulation. And Chongqing suffered the biggest drought one in 100 years. There was no large-scale serious storm and flood disaster all the year round.

In 2006, the total amount of fish fry of the "four major local fish species" of the Yangtze River had some rise, but still at low level. There was a reduction of the parent crabs and coilia mystus resources at the estuary at different degree with some increase of eel fry resource. The overall water quality of important fishery waters was good, basically meeting the requirements for fish reproduction.

In 2006, there was some decline of eco environmental pressure on farmland in the Three Gorges reservoir area. However, arable land area and total crop sown area continued going down. Agricultural production was still dominated by grain crops. Earthquake activity was similar to that of the last year with rise of micro quakes after impoundment but maintaining low intensity and normal level. The monitoring and early warning of geological disasters made some achievements with smooth progress in the three-stage prevention and control projects.

In 2006, total discharge of industrial wastewater of the Three Gorges reservoir area was 628 million tons and that of COD and ammonia nitrogen was 81,100 tons and 6400 tons respectively. Total discharge of urban sewage was 496 million tons and that of COD and ammonia nitrogen was 102,700 tons and 10,200 tons respectively. The amount of ship-oil wastewater was 470,800 tons, down by 5.2% than that of 2005, 97.1% of them under treatment. The amount of ship-born domestic sewage was about 3.32 million tons, clearly more than that of 2005.

In 2006, the overall environmental quality of both the construction areas and migrant resettlement areas of the Three Gorges Project was good. The water quality of mainstream of the Yangtze River of the Three Gorges reservoir area was dominated by Grade III and most waters of the tributaries met Grade IV national surface water quality standard, there was some degradation compared with that of 2005. Many water blooms occurred in the tributaries of the Yangtze River, showing the trend of river water blooms to lake water blooms.

The Three Gorges reservoir finished 135 m impoundment in 2003. It successfully realized 156 m impoundment in 2006. The reservoir had operated smoothly during the past 4-year impoundment. Meanwhile, monitoring results show overall good water quality in the reservoir. Based on the real conditions of the Three Gorges Project, the monitoring system has carried out regular and random monitoring on important eco environment factors and obtained a great deal of ecological and environmental data since 1996 when the "Ecological and Environmental Monitoring System for the Three Gorges Project of the Yangtze River" formally launched. The current Bulletin listed the monitoring results of major ecological and environmental indicators of the Three Gorges reservoir area in 2006 (after impoundment) and 2000 (before impoundment), indicating the change before and after the impoundment. It should be pointed out that to comprehensively identify the impacts of the Three Gorges Project on ecological environment and its change, we need long-term accumulation of data, systematic analysis and in-depth study.

Monitoring results of major ecological and environmental indicators of the Three Gorges

 reservoir area in 2006(after impoundment) and 2000(before impoundment)