Equilibrium sediment transport in lower Yellow River during later sediment-retaining period of Xiaolangdi Reservoir

The Xiaolangdi Reservoir has entered the later sediment-retaining period, and new sediment transport phenomena and channel re-establishing behaviors are appearing. A physical model test was used to forecast the scouring and silting trends of the lower Yellow River. Based on water and sediment data from the lower Yellow River during the period from 1960 to 2012, and using a statistical method, this paper analyzed the sediment transport in sediment-laden flows with different discharges and sediment concentrations in the lower Yellow River. The results show that rational water-sediment regulation is necessary to avoid silting in the later sediment-retaining period. The combination of 3 000 m3/s < Q < 4 000 m3/s and 20 kg/m3 < S < 60 kg/m3 (where Q is the discharge and S is the sediment concentration) at the Huayuankou section is considered an optimal combination for equilibrium sediment transport in the lower Yellow River over a long period of time.