Impact on the Yangtze (Changjiang) Estuary from its drainage basin: Sediment load and discharge

This paper focuses on the sediment transport and freshwater discharging from upper Yangtze drainage basin downstream, primarily on the basis of multiyear hy-drological data collected from three major hydrological gauge stations (Yichang, Hankou and Datong). Data indicate highest sediment load in Yichang (5.6×108 t/a), lowest in Hankou (5.1×108t) and second highest in Datong (5.4×108 t). This fluctuations are identical with what has been observed from the annual flood season. About one thirds of the sediment load are trapped in the middle Yangtze River course, where meandering river pattern prevails; rest of them are directly transported to the river mouth area via lower Yangtze River channel, where the river is typically confined by the exposed base rock and almost none is being trapped, instead, minor being drained to the mainstream from the local tributaries. To recognize this sediment delivery and river flow media is vital, because it can highlight morphologic/topographic correlation between the up