Isikhululo samandla ombane apho onke okanye uninzi lwamanzi avelisa amanzi luxutywe zizakhiwo ezigcina amanzi emlanjeni.

Izitishi zamanzi zohlobo lwedama zibhekisa ikakhulu kwizitishi zamanzi ezakha izakhiwo zokugcina amanzi emlanjeni ukuze zenze idama, zixube amanzi endalo ukuze zinyuse umgangatho wamanzi, kwaye zisebenzisa umahluko wentloko ukuvelisa umbane. Uphawu oluphambili kukuba idama kunye nesityalo samanzi zixubene kwicandelo elinye elifutshane lomlambo.
Izitishi zamanzi zohlobo lwedama ngokubanzi ziquka izakhiwo zokugcina amanzi, izakhiwo zokukhupha amanzi, imibhobho yoxinzelelo, izityalo zamandla, iiturbine, iijenereyitha kunye nezixhobo ezincedisayo. Uninzi lwezitishi zamanzi ezinamadama njengezakhiwo zokugcina amanzi zizikhululo zamanzi eziphezulu eziphakathi, kwaye uninzi lwezitishi zamanzi ezinamasango njengezakhiwo zokugcina amanzi zizikhululo zamanzi eziphezulu eziphantsi. Xa intloko yamanzi ingekho phezulu kwaye umlambo ubanzi, izitishi zamandla zihlala zisetyenziswa njengenxalenye yesakhiwo sokugcina amanzi. Olu hlobo lwesitishi samanzi lukwabizwa ngokuba sisitishi samanzi esisecaleni komlambo, esikwasisitishi samanzi sohlobo lwedama.
Ngokwendawo ehambelanayo yedama kunye nesityalo sombane wamanzi, izitishi zombane wamanzi zohlobo lwedama zinokwahlulwa zibe ziindidi ezimbini: uhlobo lwedama kunye nommandla womlambo. Isityalo sombane wamanzi sohlobo lwedama sibekwe kwicala elisezantsi lomzimba wedama, kwaye amanzi ajikeleziswa ngepayipi yoxinzelelo ukuze kuveliswe umbane. Isityalo ngokwaso asithwali uxinzelelo lwamanzi oluphezulu. Indlu yombane, idama, indlela yokuchitheka kunye nezinye izakhiwo zesikhululo sombane wamanzi esisezantsi komlambo zonke zakhiwe kumlambo. Ziyinxalenye yesakhiwo sokugcina amanzi kwaye zithwala uxinzelelo lwamanzi oluphezulu. Olu lungiselelo lunceda ekugcineni utyalo-mali olupheleleyo lweprojekthi.

Idama lesikhululo samandla ombane esingasemva kwedama lidla ngokuba phezulu. Okokuqala, intloko ephezulu isetyenziselwa ukwandisa amandla afakiweyo esikhululo samandla ombane, anokuhlengahlengisa ngokufanelekileyo iimfuno zolawulo oluphezulu lwenkqubo yamandla; okwesibini, kukho amandla amakhulu edama lokulawula ukuhamba kwamanzi aphezulu ukunciphisa uxinzelelo lolawulo lwezikhukula lomlambo osezantsi; okwesithathu, iingenelo ezipheleleyo zibaluleke ngakumbi. Ingxaki kukuba ukulahlekelwa zizikhukula kwindawo yedama kuyanda kwaye ukufuduswa kunye nokuhlala kwakhona kwabemi basezidolophini nasemaphandleni kunzima. Ke ngoko, izitishi zamandla ombane ezingasemva kwedama ezinamadama aphezulu kunye namachibi amakhulu zakhiwe ikakhulu kwiintlambo eziphakamileyo zeentaba, iindawo ezinokungena kwamanzi amaninzi kunye nezikhukula ezincinci.
Uninzi lwezikhululo ezinkulu zamanzi ezakhiweyo emhlabeni zixinene kwilizwe lam. Esokuqala yiThree Gorges Hydropower Station, enomthamo opheleleyo ofakelweyo wee-kilowatts ezingama-22.5 ezigidi. Ukongeza kwiingenelo ezinkulu zokuvelisa umbane, iThree Gorges Hydropower Station ikwanazo neenzuzo ezipheleleyo zokuqinisekisa ulawulo lwezikhukula kwiindawo eziphakathi nezisezantsi zoMlambo iYangtze, ukuphucula ukuhambahamba kunye nokusetyenziswa kwemithombo yamanzi, kwaye ibizwa ngokuba “zizixhobo ezinzima zelizwe.”