TheThreeGorgesProjectisoneofthelargesthydro-projectsintheworldandhasdrawnmanydebatesinsideChinaandabroad.Themajorconcernisthatsedimentloadfromtheriverbasinmayeventuallyfailthefunctionsoftheprojectforfloodcontrolandpowergeneration.Toreducesedimentationinthereservoir,watershedmanagementhasbeenadopted.However,thereislimitedinformationregardingtheeffectivenessofvariouscontrolmeasuressuchasterracingandafforestationonawatershedscale.TheJialingRiver,amaintributaryoftheYangtzeRiver,contributesapproximately25%ofthetotalsedimentloadinthemainriverbutonlyrepresents8%ofthewholebasinarea.TherehavebeenvariouslandusepatternsandextensivehumanactivitiesforthousandsofyearsintheJialingRiverwatershed.BasedonanalysisofthemajorfactorsaffectingerosionintheJialingRiverwatershed,themainwatershedmanagementstrategies(afforestation,farmingandengineeringpractice)areillustrated,andtheireffectsonthereductionofsedimentandrunoffarestudiedindetail.Thesedimentbudgetofthewatershedshowsthat1/3ofthesedimentyieldistrappedbytheerosioncontrolmeasures(afforestationandfarming)ontheslope,1/3istrappedbythereservoirs,pondsanddamswithinthewatershed,andonlyabout1/3istransportedintotheYangtzeRiver,whichwillaffecttheThreeGorgesProject.
