Variation and Driving Factors of Water Discharge and Sediment Load in Different Regions of the Jinsha River Basin in China in the Past 50 Years

The Jinsha River is the main source of sediment in the Yangtze River Basin. The variation of water discharge and sediment load not only affects the operation of the cascade reservoirs in the basin but also change the water and sediment conditions into the Three Gorges Reservoir. The Jinsha River Basin is divided into six regions based on the measured data of hydrological stations. Herein, the variation regularity and driving factors of water discharge and sediment load in the Jinsha River Basin are analyzed in the past 50 years using the Mann–Kendall and Rank Sum Test. Results show that the source of water and sediment in the Jinsha River Basin is different, and the abrupt and trend changes of water discharge and sediment load in different regions are evident different. Changes in precipitation, water and soil conservation projects, and the construction of reservoirs are the main driving factors of sediment load variation. The average annual sediment reduction load in the Jinsha River from 1998 to 2015 is approximately 99.57 × 106 t/y, of which the contributions of water discharge change and human activities to sediment load are 18.9% and 81.1%, respectively. The reduction of sediment load in the Jinsha River Basin can result in evident decrease in the sedimentation of cascade reservoirs, erosion of the downstream channel of the river, and considerable reduction of sediment load into the Three Gorges Reservoir.