The Yangtze Waterway Bureau has announced a series of measures to ensure shipping safety on the Three Gorges reservoir. They include deploying four large dredgers to work on six shallow spots in the area and having another five on standby. More resources will also be spent on monitoring and analysing the changes in the riverbed, particularly concentrating on the heavily-silted upper reaches of the reservoir and the shallow channels of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze.

The Three Gorges releasing cycle starts in January when the Yangtze enters its dry season. In recent years, this cycle has started earlier to help alleviate drought conditions in the middle and lower reaches of the river. The water level is gradually reduced to 145 metres by the end of May or beginning of June.