Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Conflict Over the Three Gorges Dam
Is it a good idea? Is it a bad idea? Ever since the Three Gorges Dam was first proposed back in 1919, it has been a source of controversy. Finally in the 1990s, China decided to go ahead with plans to build the dam. In 1994, construction began.
The dam is on the Yangtze River, the third longest river in the world. It is huge. It is the largest hydroelectric power plant on Earth.
The dam is built of concrete and is nearly one and one-half miles long and 600 feet high. At the bottom, it is over 370 feet thick, at the top over 130 feet thick. Thirty-five million cubic yards of concrete were needed to build the dam.
The reservoir behind the dam is also huge. Water in the reservoir could reach a depth of over 500 feet. The reservoir is over 400 miles long, longer than Lake Superior. It will hold 9 cubic miles of water.
For China, the completed dam is a source of pride, but it has also been a source of controversy.
