Influence of Sediment Transport on Water Levels in the Middle Yangtze River

In this paper, sediment transport and deposition variety in the Yangtze River and Dongting Lake regions are comprehensively analyzed based on field data. The study shows that the gradual decrease of diversion ratio of water and sediment from the Yangtze River to the Dongting Lake is not only the primary cause of the decrease of sediment deposition in the Dongting Lake and the increase from Luoshan to Hankou reach, but also the primary cause of the elevated water levels in the Yangtze River, as well as decreasing flood regulation capacity in the Dongting Lake region. Thus the strategy of reduction and prevention of flood disasters is to deposit more sediment in the lake area, dredge the river channel, and reinforce dikes along the Yangtze River