Streamflow Decline in the Yellow River along with Socioeconomic Development: Past and Future

Yang, S.L.; Shi, Benwei; Fan, Jiqing; Luo, Xiao; Tian, Qing; Yang, Hua-Qian; Chen, Shenliang; Zhang, Yingxin; Zhang, Saisai; Shi, Xuefa; Wang, Houjie

doi:10.3390/w12030823

Cited by 14 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 54 publications

(98 reference statements)

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“…We further tested the significance of the average annual river discharge and sediment load due to the dam regulations in the two deltas (Figure 4a-d). The results showed that As for the Yellow River Delta, the river discharge and sediment load decreased gradually from 1950 to 2017 [41,66,67]. Corresponding to the construction of the four major dams (i.e., the Sanmenxia, Liujiaxia, Longyangxia, and Xiaolangdi Dams) [5], we divided the study period into five phases: phase i (1950-1960), phase ii (1961-1968), phase iii (1969)(1970)(1971)(1972)(1973)(1974)(1975)(1976)(1977)(1978)(1979)(1980)(1981)(1982)(1983)(1984)(1985), phase iv (1986-1999) and phase v (2000-2017) (we use lowercase letters to make a distinction from the different phases of the Volta River Delta, Figure 3b).…”

Section: Hydrological Alterationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[5,77]. Notably, the erosion of the subaqueous delta and adjacent shelf zone may provide a sediment source to partly compensate for the decreasing fluvial sediment input, which could help to stabilize the shoreline and subaerial delta [66]. However, the coast of the Volta River Delta is bounded by a narrow shelf, which is characterized by a fairly uniform, moderately steep slope of between 1:120 and 1:150 up to −15 m [25,83,84], whereas the subaqueous slope of the Yellow River Delta is relatively low, ranging from 1:900 to 1:2500 [48].…”

Section: Conceptual Model Showing the Processes Of Dam-influenced Delta Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Tale of Two Deltas: Dam-Induced Hydro-Morphological Evolution of the Volta River Delta (Ghana) and Yellow River Delta (China)

Gao

Shao

et al. 2021

Water

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Previous studies mostly focus on an individual delta, or deltas at a global scale, to explore dam effects on deltaic hydrological alteration and morphological evolution, while comparative studies on selected similar deltas remain scarce. In this study, we compare the alteration of river discharge and sediment load, as well as the associated deltaic area and shoreline, of two deltas, namely, the Volta River Delta in Ghana and the Yellow River Delta in China, which are subject to similar forcings and mainstem dam influences. The results show that the sediment loads of the Volta River Delta and Yellow River Delta have decreased abruptly and gradually, respectively, to ~10% of the pre-dam level, presumably due to differences in reservoir capacity and upstream dam location. Sediment decline has led to a decrease of the fluvial dominance ratio, which has also been affected by the river mouth location and shoreline orientation. As a consequence, the area of the Volta River Delta has shifted to a new quasi-equilibrium, whereas the Yellow River Delta has kept prograding. This comparative study provides references for understanding the future evolution of similar deltas around the world.

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Section: Hydrological Alterationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Conceptual Model Showing the Processes Of Dam-influenced Delta Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Tale of Two Deltas: Dam-Induced Hydro-Morphological Evolution of the Volta River Delta (Ghana) and Yellow River Delta (China)

Gao

Shao

et al. 2021

Water

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“…Due to more reservoir storage (Yang et al, 2020) and coarsening of surface sediment of lower riverbed (Fig. 4b), the functional degradation of the WSRS in both water-regulation and sediment-regulation periods has led to visible decrease in both water discharge and sediment load to the sea during the period of the WSRS (Fig.…”

Section: Sustainability Of the Wsrsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Due to more reservoir storage (Yang et al, 2020) and coarsening of surface sediment of lower riverbed (Figure 4b), the functional degradation of the WSRS in both water‐regulation and sediment‐regulation periods has led to visible decrease in both water discharge and sediment load to the sea during the period of the WSRS (Figures 2c and 4c). Since 2006, when the downstream riverbed erosion efficiency began to decrease (Wang et al, 2017), the sand load has dramatically declined (Figure 4c, with exception for 2010 when three WSRS events were unprecedentedly operated).…”

Section: Sustainability Of the Wsrsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can Reservoir Regulation Along the Yellow River Be a Sustainable Way to Save a Sinking Delta?

Syvitski

et al. 2020

Earth's Future

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 The impact of reservoir regulation along the Yellow River on delta evolution was systematically evaluated  The man-made experiment through reservoir regulation along the Yellow River did mitigate delta erosion by scouring the lower river bed  With sediment coarsening of lower riverbed, bed scouring through reservoir regulation is not a sustainable way to nourish delta lobe Abstract Today's deltas are impacted negatively by 1) accelerated subsidence (e.g. from ground fluid extraction), 2) global eustatic sea-level rise, and 3) decreased sediment supply, which increasingly starves these landforms of sediment necessary to sustain their footprint. This growing vulnerability threatens many mega cities that have developed due to the rich resources offered by deltas, and therefore urgently calls for efforts to maintain sustainability. The Yellow River of China is classic example of such a landform under threat and which requires human intervention to maintain its resilience. Since 2002, the Yellow River Conservancy Commission has enacted an annual water and sediment regulation scheme (WSRS) by coordinated operation of three large reservoirs in the main stream. Here we evaluate the efficiency and sustainability of this man-made experiment on delta evolution. The impulsive delivery of muds and sands, within ~20 day intervals (averaged duration of the WSRS), did indeed move the present Yellow River delta from a destructive phase to an accretion phase. With continuous scouring, however, the downstream riverbed erosion efficiency has decreased, due to coarsening of surface bed material sediment. Concomitantly, sediment delivery has decreased, resulting in the present delta once again entering an erosive (destructive) phase, since 2014. From a perspective of delta restoration, the WSRS on the Yellow River is effective but potentially unsustainable. Restoring delta resilience necessitates ©2020 American Geophysical Union. All rights reserved. an enhanced, coordinated effort, relying upon new sciences advances, rather than simply assuming channel scour will address the sediment deficit of the delta.

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“…The streamflow is almost entirely consumed in the oasis, and then disappears in the dry plains [8,9]. Streamflow consumption is a complex system dependent on natural conditions and human-induced effects [9][10][11][12][13]. Hu et al (2021) quantified the contributions of climatic and human activity factors to runoff variation by the elasticity coefficients in the Amu Darya River Basin [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Streamflow Consumption vs. Climate Change in the Evolution of Discharge in the Tarim River Basin, Northwest China

Shi

Wang

et al. 2022

Water

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Quantifying and separating the impacts of hydroclimatic change and human activities on streamflow consumption are crucial issues for the planning, management, and rational allocation of water resources in arid inland river basins. Generalized additive models were used to reveal the interactions between climate, land-use change, and streamflow consumption in the mainstream Tarim River basin in Northwest China. The results showed that streamflow has decreased, while streamflow consumption has had an increasing trend in the upper reaches and a decreasing trend in the middle and lower reaches during the past 45 years. Land-use change was estimated to contribute 50.1–84.30% (mean of 58.1%) of streamflow consumption, and it was followed by climatic change, which contributed 10.5–28.3% (mean of 21.5%), and inflow runoff, which contributed 11.8–23.6% (mean of 17.7%) from 1970–2015. Land-use change played a dominant role in streamflow consumption in the mainstream Tarim River basin. Cropland expansion and urban area growth were the primary factors causing the decreased streamflow and increased streamflow consumption in the upper reaches. The streamflow consumption in the middle and lower reaches decreased, which was attributed to the decreased inflow. The results are useful for informing policy-making accordingly so that the river can be properly restored, which will benefit the ecosystem services.

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Streamflow Decline in the Yellow River along with Socioeconomic Development: Past and Future

Cited by 14 publications

References 54 publications

A Tale of Two Deltas: Dam-Induced Hydro-Morphological Evolution of the Volta River Delta (Ghana) and Yellow River Delta (China)

A Tale of Two Deltas: Dam-Induced Hydro-Morphological Evolution of the Volta River Delta (Ghana) and Yellow River Delta (China)

Can Reservoir Regulation Along the Yellow River Be a Sustainable Way to Save a Sinking Delta?

Streamflow Consumption vs. Climate Change in the Evolution of Discharge in the Tarim River Basin, Northwest China

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