When Phase 2 of the project is completed (expected to be in 2003), the water will have risen by 135 meters. When the total project is finished (est. 2009), the water will be 175 meters--roughly equivalent to a 50-story building--above its original level. The resulting reservoir will be 300 kilometers across and the catchment area will cover 19 cities and counties including 300 smaller townships.
二○○三年，第二期工程完成時，江水將上漲一百三十五公尺，全部工程預計於二○○九年峻工，屆時，一百七十五公尺，相當於五十層高樓的水位將使長江三峽成為綿延三百公里的大水庫，集水區涵蓋沿岸十九個縣市、三百餘城鎮，三峽也將成永不可追的歷史名詞。