Floods put pressure on dam

? Record-high water levels at China’s massive Three Gorges Dam have called into question Beijing’s claims that the world’s largest hydroelectric project could withstand a 10,000-year flood.

The water level reached 518 feet this morning, just 55 feet from the reservoir’s maximum capacity of 573 feet, flood control headquarters in the central province of Hubei said.

Water could go higher with China’s national weather center issuing a warning today of more torrential rains for the region through 8 a.m. Sunday.

Minister of Water Resources Chen Lei urged officials to inspect and protect other dams and reservoirs in the region as well as flooding continues, the state-run Xinhua News Agency said.