The Three Gorges reservoir on Sunday saw its highest flood peak this year, but without disrupting the shipping service on the Yangtze River.

Located in central China's Hubei Province, the Three Gorges project, the world's largest hydroelectric project, had a water flow of 41,000 cubic meters per second at its maximum on Saturday night.

Persistent heavy rains on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River increased the water flow drastically from the average 28,000 cubic meters per second, said Ji Yujian, vice director of the Yangtze Three Gorges shipping service bureau.

The peak, however, began ebbing on Sunday and reduced to 35,500 cubic meters per second at about 8 p.m. It was expected to flow into the reservoir at 34,000 cubic meters per second at 8 a.m. on Monday and keep ebbing in the following days.

The Changjiang Water Resources Commission predicted the flood peak might reach up to 55,000 cubic meters per second this year.

(Xinhua News Agency August 18, 2008)