Abstract: Floating debris directly affects hydraulic project’s spillway, power generation, navigation, water quality,and landscape. Floating debris is an environmental problem in engineering, but current approaches could not meet the requirements of large-scale treatment. To improve the passive and inefficient way of treating floating debris, we present an integrated hydraulic approach of treating floating debris by blocking, guiding, and removing debris under the joint action of hydraulics of river and floating row itself. Yangtze River Scientific Research Institute carried out tests using the floating bridge-style row equipped with guiding water power in front of the Three Gorges Dam in flood season of 2014. The floating debris were blocked and guided to a certain location and were removed concentratedly. During the test the facility was proved safe and reliable after going through extreme conditions inclusive of ship collision, waves, water level fluctuation, and counter-terrorism exercises on the water, providing a protective barrier in front of the dam on water surface.

Key words: floating debris, integrated hydraulic approach, floating barrier, safety of hydropower station, in front of Three Gorges Dam