Impact of impoundment on groundwater seepage in the Three Gorges Dam in China based on CFCs and stable isotopes

It is a common concern that the groundwater flow field caused by the Three Gorges Dam changes the regional seismic activity and environment. The changes in the seepage region could be effectively reflected through the analysis of the groundwater age using chlorofluorocarbons (CFC)-based techniques. In this study, the influences of the reservoir water on groundwater and the seepage region boundary of the reservoir were investigated using CFCs, stable isotopes, and water level in groundwater, reservoir water, and spring water during the water storage process of the Three Gorges Reservoir. The results show that the water supplied by the groundwater is older, whereas the water supplied by the reservoir and the springs is younger. With an increase in the water level of the reservoir, the water in well W3, which is located at the vice dam of the head region, becomes older due to the reservoir loading effect, whereas the water in well W4 become younger due to the lateral seepage of reservoir water. This finding indicates that the groundwater seepage regions in wells W3 and W4, which are located at upstream of the reservoir, are all influenced by the Three Gorges Reservoir. In contrast, the sampling points in the northern section of the Xiannvshan fault zone, which is farther from the dam, did not exhibit any direct hydraulic connection between the groundwater and the reservoir water; thus, the reservoir seepage effects may not affect the northern part of the Xiannvshan fault zone. These research results provide important reference data that can be used to analyze the effects of the Three Gorges reservoir storage on the regional environment.