Accumulated ecohydrological impacts and ecological risk of mega-cascade reservoir operations

Authored by Meixiu Yu, Published in 2026

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Title Accumulated ecohydrological impacts and ecological risk of mega-cascade reservoir operations
Author Meixiu Yu and Hanlin Song and Jianyun Zhang and Junliang Jin and Qingshe Meng and Juan Chen and Jiayi He and Xiaolong Liu and Yufeng Ren and Zixuan Xu and Zhixiang Min
Journal Journal of Hydrology
Year 2026
Volume /
Issue /
Pages 135321
Abstract Mega-cascade hydropower systems are pivotal to global water–energy security but profoundly reshape riverine ecosystems through complex cumulative impacts, which remain challenging to quantify comprehensively, particularly at large basin scales. The Yangtze River hosts the world’s largest clean-energy corridor—a six-dam cascade comprising four mega-reservoirs on the lower Jinsha River together with the Three Gorges–Gezhouba system—providing a unique natural laboratory. This study systematically examines the evolution, accumulation, and ecological implications of downstream hydrological changes across successive operational phases of cascade development. Results show that: (1) Cascade expansion markedly intensifies hydrological alterations and enhances multi-scale flow complexity, expressed as greater irregularity and reduced predictability; (2) The proposed Cumulative Eco-hydrological …
Cited by 1 (Updated on Jun-06-2026)
Google Citations view https://scholar.google.com/citations?view%5Fop=view%5Fcitation&hl=en&citation%5Ffor%5Fview=ly9d4IgAAAAJ:pqnbT2bcN3wC
Url https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002216942600418X
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