To better understand the flow patterns near Jiuling Hill in the approach navigation channel of the Three Gorges Project and to improve the navigation channel, a physical flume model was constructed with a non-submerged spur dike placed as a barrier. An approach of sucking a small amount of water from the upper flume at the convex side of the spur dike and spouting it out again into the lower flume at the downstream side of the spur dike, so-called “sucking-spouting” water method, was proposed to improve navigational conditions. The flows around the spur dike for this method are experimentally investigated, and are compared to those in the no “sucking-spouting” water case. Based on the rigid lid assumption and a Dynamic Smagorinsky Model, all the vortex flows around the spur dike are numerically simulated, and the data are analyzed systematically. By applying “sucking-spouting” method, the recirculation zone caused by the spur dike reduced greatly and the transverse velocity decreased. At the same time, the flow behind the spur dike is much more complex, and materials and momentum substantially exchange between the dead zone and the main flow because of spouting action. The finite volume method is used to discretize the governing equations together with a staggered grid system, where the second-order difference is applied for the diffusion terms and the source terms while the upwind difference QUICK is used for the convection terms. The computational results are in fairly good agreement with the experimental data. To better understand the flow patterns near Jiuling Hill in the approach navigation channel of the Three Gorges Project and to improve the navigation channel, a physical flume model was constructed with a non-submerged spur dike placed as a barrier. An approach of sucking a small amount of water from the upper flume at the convex side of the spur dike and spouting it out again into the lower flume at the downstream side of the spur dike, so-called “sucking-spouting” water method, was proposed to improve navigational conditions Based on the rigid lid assumption and a Dynamic Smagorinsky Model, all the vortex flows around the spur dike By applying “sucking-spouting” method, the recirculation zone caused by the spur dike reduced greatly and the transverse velocity At the same time, the flow behind the spur dike is much more complex, and materials and momentum substantially exchange between the dead zone and the main flow because of spouting action. The finite volume method is used to discretize the governing equations together with a staggered grid system, where the second-order difference is applied for the diffusion terms and the source terms while while the upwind difference QUICK is used for the convection terms. The computational results are in fairly good agreement with the experimental data.