Using a Complex Network to Analyze the Effects of the Three Gorges Dam on Water Level Fluctuation in Poyang Lake

Because the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) has disturbed the normal hydrological regime downstream, analyzing the influence of the TGD on water level fluctuation is of great importance to ecological planning. The distribution and dynamic of the water level before and after the TGD were analyzed using frequency distribution and a complex network. Frequency distribution was unimodal before the TGD, and the peak ranged from 13–15 m. Frequency distribution was bimodal after TGD and two peaks ranged from 9–10 m and 16–17 m. The number of days when the water level was above warning level was reduced, and it was increased when the water level was below the ecological level. Further, the TGD had little effect on the number of days of rapid water level rising, which mainly existed during the flood season. However, this imposed a greater influence on the number of days of rapid water level decline, which implies a weaker intensity of the recession process, along with a longer duration. Thirdly, in winter and spring, the water level after the TGD was lower than that before the TGD by approximately 1 m. In summer, the number of days when the water level was above warning level was reduced. In autumn, the frequency distribution changed from unimodal to bimodal. The TGD has the greatest influence during the winter, which resulted in a lower water level and more severe drought.