Reasons for the homogenization of the seasonal discharges in the Yangtze River

Abstract

Abstract Allocations of water discharges between dry and flood seasons along the Yangtze River have significantly homogenized during the past decades, mainly due to precipitation change, regulation of key hydraulic works on the mainstream like the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), and the construction of numerous dams scattered in sub-basins. To reveal the specific roles of these three major factors in changing the seasonal discharges of the whole Yangtze River, this paper analyzes daily discharges during 1961–2014 at 16 hydrological stations from the far upper reach (the Jinshajiang Reach) to the estuary. We found that precipitation has only homogenized in areas 427 km downstream of the TGR, contributing 9.5–23.6% to the homogenized discharges. Even though the TGR is the largest hydraulic works in the world, it only contributes 17.5–27.2% to the downstream homogenization of seasonal discharge. By comparison, dams in sub-regions are a major contributor (61.1–100%) in the homogenized reach either upper or lower to the TGR. Of all the sub-basins, dams in Hanjiang River basin have the most significant effect (16.9%) on changing the allocations of seasonal discharges to the sea, followed by Wujiang (11.5%), Jialingjiang (10.1%), Yalongjiang (9.4%), Qingjiang (8.4%), and Daduhe-Minjiang (4.7%) river basins.