When the Three Gorges Dam was built, 39 trillion kilograms of water from the Yangtze River built up behind it to 175 meters above sea level. This altered the Earth’s moment of inertia changed ever so slightly, causing the rotation to move more slowly. This is the same principle behind why figure skaters tuck in their arms to spin faster.
NASA has calculated that the dam only slows the rotation by 0.06 microseconds, which is six hundredths of a millionth of a second. Our planet’s rotation speed actually fluctuates fairly often, as it can be influenced by earthquakes, the moon, and the climate change-induced movement of the North Pole.
Imagine yourself standing with your arms tightly close to your body. Start spinning your body.
Now imagine yourself standing with your arms extended. Start spinning your body again.
Did you notice any difference?
You would have spun slower than before.
Physicists call this phenomenon as the Moment of Inertia. It's the same logic which applies to the Three Gorges Dam.

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