Update for January 5-19
Notable changes on the Mekong in the last week.
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SPOTLIGHT
Mekong Floodpulse holds steady in early January
Seasonal flooding in the Mekong increased slightly from late December to
early January at a time when it typically decreases. This could have
been caused by unseasonable rainfall. However, an alternative
explanation is that the observed water is a result of dry season
irrigation, since most of the new water appears in Vietnam’s Mekong
Delta. Dry season irrigation season typically begins in early March.
Regardless, the Mekong Floodplain is wetter than usual for this time of
the year and this bodes well for dry season agriculture in coming
months.
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Where is the water?
Last week dams throughout the basin released a cumulative total of 870
million cubic meters of water. This is a relatively large number for
this time of year although in certain weeks later in the dry season
individual dams, particularly those in China, will release more than
this. Dam releases during the dry season artificially raise the level of
the Mekong and cause significant disturbances to natural ecological
processes. Major dam releases were observed at Huangdeng (PRC, 252
million cubic meters), Nam Ngum 1 (LAO, 233 million cubic meters), Nam
Theun 2 (LAO, 159 million cubic meters), and Ubol Ratana (THA, 170
million cubic meters). A significant restriction of water of 164 million
cubic meters occurred at Nuozhadu in China.
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Most Impactful Dams
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River Levels
River levels throughout the basin are slightly higher than normal.
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Chiang Saen Gauge
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Stung Treng Gauge
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Weather & Wetness
The Mekong’s headwaters are receiving water from snow cover that melts
during the day. Above average wetness extended through most of the upper
basin, while the Golden Triangle and northern Laos were both drier than
normal for this time of the year. The rest of the lower basin was
wetter than expected with the exception of parts of Cambodia.
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