Winter Flood Lines on Xining Dam Riprap

Dark silt stains mark the rough, gray stones of a levee face, tracing the high water line left by a recent flood. The riprap blocks are jagged and massive, stacked in a heavy wall that rises steeply against a night sky. Ground fog pools in the crevices between the rocks, glowing faintly in the cold, silvery light of winter. Shadows stretch deep into the gaps where stones meet, showing the weight and texture of the concrete and rock. The lowest stones are slick with moisture, reflecting the pale ambient glow. One patch of frozen mud rests on the base of the wall where the silt meets the frozen earth.