At around 11:00 am on June 10, the subaqueous fill section of the water intake cofferdam for the Yangtze-to-Hanjiang River Water Diversion Project was successfully closed belowthe154-meterelevation.

　　The closure marks the imminent completion of the reservoir area’s water‑retaining barrier, creatingthe critical conditions for subsequent excavation of the intake and construction of the intake structures.

　　The intake of the project is located 7.5km upstream of the Three Gorges Dam, within the reservoir areain Yichang, Hubei Province. The water conveyance route of the project spans 194.7km. Upon completion, the project is expected to divert an average of 3.9 billion cubic meters of water from the Yangtze River to the Hanjiang River annually. (Sanxia Daily: Reporters/Li Lihua and Xu Zhengyu)