Water and Sediment Effects of Soil and Water Conservation in Qingshui River Basin, Ningxia

doi:10.11988/ckyyb.20240439

Abstract

Abstract:

[Objective] Current studies on the causes of water-sediment variation in the Yellow River mainly focus on the middle reaches’ hyperconcentrated sediment region or the Hekou-Longmen reach. Fewer studies have addressed the evolution of water-sediment relationships in typical tributaries of the upper reaches. Most existing research focuses on influencing factors of total water-sediment changes, with limited investigations on the driving factors behind water-sediment relationship evolution. The basin’s water-sediment effects under large-scale ecological restoration measures urgently need to be revealed. [Methods] This study took the Qingshui River Basin (QRB), the largest and most severely eroded tributary in the Ningxia section of the Yellow River, as the research object. Based on the actual water and sand data measured in the research area from 1955 to 2016, trend analysis and water-sediment relationship curves were used to reveal the characteristics of water-sediment changes. Multi-source data were employed to analyze the response of water and sediment to key influencing factors, ultimately exploring the evolution of basin water-sediment relationships under soil and water conservation. [Results] The interannual variations in runoff and sediment transport in the QRB were drastic. Annual runoff and sediment transport in Guyuan showed a significant downward trend. Annual runoff in Hanfuwang exhibited a significant decline, while annual sediment transport showed a non-significant decrease. Annual runoff and sediment transport in Quanyan Mountain showed no significant changes. Significant abrupt change years were observed in both annual runoff and sediment transport in the QRB. The abrupt change in annual runoff occurred in the 1990s, while that in annual sediment transport occurred after 2000. The periods of strong soil and water conservation measures in the Loess Plateau were close to the above abrupt change years of water-sediment factors. Sediment production in the QRB was jointly influenced by climate change (precipitation) and human activities. Drastic changes in the underlying surface caused by human activities were the primary factor leading to the sharp reduction in water and sediment in the QRB, further driving the evolution of basin water-sediment relationships. After 2000, the basin’s water-sediment relationship underwent a distinct transformation, specifically manifested as a significant decrease in the coefficient “a” of the water-sediment relationship curve and a notable increase in the downstream index “b”. Drastic changes in the underlying surface caused by human activities remained the primary factor driving water-sediment changes and the evolution of basin water-sediment relationships. [Conclusions] The water-sediment relationships in the basin have evolved as a result of large-scale soil and water conservation measures. Based on the sediment “storage-release” effect, the probability of strong sediment transport events still exists under new water-sediment conditions, necessitating strengthened preventive measures.

Key words: water and sediment effect, sediment transport variation, climatic change, water and soil conservation, storage-release, Yellow River Basin

CLC Number:

YANG Jun, XU Jing-hua, ZENG Chen-jun, LIU Chang-hui. Water and Sediment Effects of Soil and Water Conservation in Qingshui River Basin, Ningxia[J]. Journal of Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute, 2025, 42(6): 94-101.

Figures/Tables 10

Fig.1 Location of Qingshui River Basin (QRB)

Table 1 Introduction of hydrological stations and data series

站名	测站编码	集水面积/ km²	经度/ (°)	纬度/ (°)	数据序列 (年)
固原	40501100	210	106.3	36.02	1967—2008
韩府湾	40501500	4 935	106.15	36.60	1960—2016
泉眼山	40501900	14 480	105.67	37.46	1955—2016

Fig.2 Linear trends analysis of annual runoff and annual sediment transport in QRB

Table 2 Results of MK trend test and Sen’s slope calculation

站点	年径流量		年输沙量
站点	MK检验参数Z值	Sen’s, β/(10⁴m³)	MK检验参数Z值	Sen’s, β/(10⁴t)
固原	-3.44^***	-18.75	-3. $4 * * *$	-0.66
韩府湾	-5.16^***	-119.56	-1.3^NS	-6.86
泉眼山	1.41^NS	61.23	0.56^NS	6.62

Table 2 Results of MK trend test and Sen’s slope calculation

站点	年径流量		年输沙量
站点	MK检验参数Z值	Sen’s, β/(10⁴m³)	MK检验参数Z值	Sen’s, β/(10⁴t)
固原	-3.44^***	-18.75	-3. $4 * * *$	-0.66
韩府湾	-5.16^***	-119.56	-1.3^NS	-6.86
泉眼山	1.41^NS	61.23	0.56^NS	6.62

Fig.3 MK test results for abrupt change in annual runoff and sediment transport in QRB

Fig.4 Water-sediment relationship curves at three hydrological stations in QRB

Fig.5 Variation in water-sediment relationship curve parameters at three hydrological stations

Fig.6 Percentage anomaly of precipitation in different periods of QRB and corresponding annual sediment load at Quanyanshan

Fig.7 Land use and Sen’s slope calculation results of NDVI in QRB

Fig.8 Sediment reduction by soil and water conservation measures in different periods in QRB

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