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  1. #1
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
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    Mekong water level lowest in 50 years

    BANGKOK, 20 July 2019 (NNT) - The Northeast is considered a drought-prone area as a result of its frequent lack of rain. Many provinces are again facing a water shortage. In Khon Kaen, more than 10 districts have been affected by the lack of rain. The water level in the Mekong river is at its lowest level in 50 years.


    The fast falling and very low level of the Mekong river has revealed stanchions at the base of the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. Pontoons and river boats must remain ashore because the water level is so low that they could run aground. Thousands of outcrops, both small and large, have emerged from the Mekong river for a distance of over five kilometers in Sangkhom district. Water that normally flows over the rocks has dried up leaving only small puddles where people can safely walk. As a result, only thalwegs that are adjacent to the Lao PRD are used for travelling.


    In Nong Khai, the water level at 80 centimeters, is 11.4 meters below the Mekong river bank. In the same period last year, the water was 150 centimeters high. The water level in the Mekong river is at its lowest level in 50 years.


    The level of water in the Mekong River in Bueng Kan has also continuously declined. The water level has been measured at three meters. This is affecting river traffic in the Mekong. Small boats that commute between Thailand and Laos need to be extra careful and avoid the sand bars. However, cargo ships and ferries are mostly unaffected. ABC Laos News has advised that the Xayaburi hydro-electric dam of Lao PDR, which is in the process of experimenting with electric generators opens and closes its water gates as required, and is currently releasing water into the Mekong River between July 15 – 29. This may cause the water level in the Mekong River to rise rapidly. The public is advised to move any essential property near the river to a safe place.

    National News Bureau Of Thailand

  2. #2
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
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    ONWR asks Laos to postpone Xayaburi Dam tests affecting Mekong river water level

    BANGKOK, 20 July 2019 (NNT) - The Office of National Water Resources (ONWR) has sent an urgent letter to Laos officials to postpone tests at Xayaburi hydroelectric dam until more water is released upstream from China, expecting water levels in Mekong river to return to normal in 3 days.


    The ONWR’s Secretary General Somkiat Prachamwong has said, regarding the current lowest water levels in the river for several years, that the shortage of water is caused from lower than normal precipitation in China, Laos and Thailand, as well as lower water discharge from Jinghong dam in China from 9-18 July during hydro power plant maintenance.


    The ONWR sent letters to governors of 8 provinces, namely Chiang Rai, Loei, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan, Bueng Kan, Nong Khai, Amnatcharoen and Ubon Ratchathani, on 4 July 2019 informing them that the current water level in the Mekong River to be 2.1 meters, lower than previous levels prior to discharge adjustment at 2.69 meters.


    The power generator test has caused water levels in the river to fluctuate. The dam has, from 9-17 July, retained some water, causing the water level in Thailand to drop. Water discharge after the test on 17 July then caused the water level to rise rapidly by 40-50 centimeter, affecting riverside residents.


    On this matter, the ONWR has informally coordinated with Lao officials, and issued an urgent letter to the Laos National Mekong River Commission to postpone the test at Xayaburi dam for 2-3 days, which will correspond to the period where more water will be discharged from Jinghong dam. It is expected water levels will be restored to normal in approximately 3 days, between 18-20 July.


    The ONWR secretary general said water levels downstream from Xayaburi dam are the lowest in history, with the water level recorded at 3.83 meters at Chiang Kan station on 18 July, which is lower than average by 5.28 meter, and lower than previous lowest level by 1.43 meters. The water level difference before and after discharge adjustment was recorded at minus 1.79 meters, which is the lowest in 28 years.

    National News Bureau Of Thailand

  3. #3
    I'm in Jail

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    Good for smugglers. Not so good for nagas

  4. #4
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    was in nakon phanom last week , noticed they are building up mud banks , to decrease the width of the mekong ,
    and hopefully increase the flow rate .

  5. #5
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
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    Three reasons cited for the drying up of the downstream Mekong River

    Less rainfall in the Southeast Asian region, a reduction of the amount of water released from the Jinhong dam in southern China and the planned trial run of power generators at the Xayaburi dam in Laos are blamed for the current sharp fall of water levels in downstream stretches of the Mekong River in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.


    Ms. Pianporn Deetes, Thailand’s campaign director for International Rivers, a non-profit and non-governmental organization dedicated to campaigning against destructive dams, said on Facebook on Saturday that it is about time that the governments of Mekong riparian countries effectively controlled the commercial exploitation of the river.


    She said that the Jinhong dam, in China’s southern province of Yunnan, which is only about 340 km from the area where the borders of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet, has lately reduced the amount of water released through the dam to just 500 cubic metres per second. Meanwhile, officials at the Xayaburi dam in Laos are storing up water for the planned trial run of seven power generators before the actual launch of electricity generation scheduled in October.


    She said that the sharp drop of water levels in the Mekong River, appearance of sandbars and rapids, the death of many fish on sandbars and non-operational water pumping stations are “just the beginning” of what can be expected in the months ahead when the Xayaburi hydro-electric dam is in full operational mode.


    “And this will continue for the next 29 years according to the electricity purchase deal under the PPA program,” said Ms. Pianporn.

    She said she had discussed the issue with Mr. Harnarong Yaowalers, an advisor to the people’s network of eight Thai provinces bordering the Mekong River, who suggested that Laos should postpone its generator tests until there is enough water in the reservoir.


    She added that the Electricity Generation Authority of Thailand (EGAT), a party in the power deal with Laos, should have realized the potential impact on the water situation and the hardships inflicted upon the people, who rely upon the river, and should defer the trials because, currently, there is enough power generated for Thailand’s use.


    “Today, there are only two dams and we are now suffering badly. 28 dams more dams are in the pipeline in China and another 11 in Laos. We cannot deny the need for cross-border environment impacts assessment (EIA) studies,” said Ms. Pianporn.

    https://www.thaipbsworld.com/three-r...-mekong-river/

  6. #6
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
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    Mekong water level lowest in 50 years-8202d60b-b1b9-4f71-8875-3fb17123f354-jpeg

    The eight dams in China, which were built on the Mekong River, or Lancang as it is called in China, have been blamed as the chief culprit in the sharp fall in water levels downstream and the resulting hardships caused to people in lower riparian countries, according to the Mekong Freedom Network, a civic group that studies the impacts of dams constructed along the Mekong river.


    From its studies, the group said that the eight dams have blocked a combined total of over 40 billion cubic metres of water for use in electricity generation, irrigation and other purposes and they are the main cause of unnatural flows of the river, affecting the livelihoods of the people living along the river.


    The group said that the lowest water level was observed when the Jinghong dam, in China’s Yunnan province, cut the water flow rate through the dam to 500 cubic metres/second. The flow was increased to 1,000 cubic metres/second on July 18th.


    The water levels in several northern and northeastern provinces of Thailand, however, remain at record lows, making navigation, fishing and pumping of water for consumption impossible.


    The group claim they have been demanding that the government to step in to address the problem, but without success.

    https://www.thaipbsworld.com/eight-c...-mekong-river/
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Mekong water level lowest in 50 years-8202d60b-b1b9-4f71-8875-3fb17123f354-jpeg  

  7. #7
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    Mekong water level lowest in 50 years-colorado-river-delta-flickr-stuart-rankin

    This is a picture of the Colorado River delta now. Further upstream is the Hoover Dam and many irrigation pumps supporting farms in the arid land around the river. This estuary used to be huge, with marshlands that supported deer, jaguars, an Indian tribe and much more.

    I couldn't find any pictures of the delta from before Hoover Dam was built, but this pic shows what happened when water was released for a while after unusually heavy rains.
    Mekong water level lowest in 50 years-pulseflow-jpg

    I wonder what the mouth of the Mekong will look like after all of those dams are built?
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Mekong water level lowest in 50 years-colorado-river-delta-flickr-stuart-rankin   Mekong water level lowest in 50 years-pulseflow-jpg  

  8. #8
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
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    Laos and Xayaburi dam deny responsibility for dry Mekong River

    Representatives of the Lao government and the builder of the Xayaburi dam have dismissed allegations that water retention at the dam, for the trial run of electricity generators, is one of the reasons for the sharp lowering of the water level in the downstream stretches of the Mekong River.


    The denial was made in the presence of a group of Thai reporters, invited by builders of the dam CK Power Company, a subsidiary of Ch Karn Chang.


    The water in the reservoir, 30 meters above the river, is about 2.75 metres deep.


    Mr. Anuparb Wonglakorn, deputy managing director of CK Power Company, said that the company raised the water level in the reservoir for technical purposes once in October last year.


    He pointed out that the influence of El Nino this year was largely to blame for the lowest amount of water flowing into the Mekong River in a century. He also criticized the Jinghong dam, in China’s Yunnan province, for releasing less water downstream, causing as much hardship to Lao people as to Thais, who rely on the Mekong for water for consumption, fishing and navigation.


    Mr. Anuparb suggested that the Mekong River Commission, which is made up of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, should invite Myanmar and China for talks about sustainable water management in the Mekong River.



    https://www.thaipbsworld.com/laos-an...-mekong-river/

  9. #9
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    I wonder what effect this is having on Tonle Sap.

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