ABSTRACT
The first-stage storage of the Three Gorges Project started on the 1st June, 2003 and ended on the 10th June, 2003. In order to investigate the influences of the Three Gorges Project on the Changjiang Estuary and adjacent area environment, a cruise was carried out from the 15th June, 2003 to the 25th June, 2003 to synthetically study the environment. Suspended matter concentrations (SMC) in different water layers at different sites were calculated and distributions of SMC were discussed combining with salinity and temperature of water based on recovered data. In results, SMC increase from surface to bottom in Changjiang Estuary and adjacent area. Suspended matters are enriched in the water over the river mouth bar and alongshore area which are located at the west of 123 degrees E. Compared to that before the storage, SMC are reduced obviously in the Changjiang course and south branch after the storage. For example, at the Xuliujing, SMC are reduced from 400 - 500 mg/L to 60.2 mg/L, and in the south branch, from 445 mg/L to 148 mg/L. In other areas, SMC do not show a significant change that they are both less than 10 mg/L in the surface player and 100 mg/L in bottom player. Generally, the distributed patterns of SMC in the investigation area after the storage are still similar to that before the storage.
