According to The Functions, Framework and Personnel Size of the Ministry of Water Resources (State Document No. 87, 1998) approved by the State Council, the laws and the regulations concerned, the Yellow River Conservancy Commission (YRCC) is an agency of the Ministry of Water Resources in charge of the Yellow River basin and the inland river basins in such province as Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu and Inner Mongolia. YRCC, on behalf of the Ministry of Water Resources, takes on the responsibilities of water administration in these basins.

(1) In charge of the implementation, supervision and inspection of Water Law and other regulations concerned; drawing up regulations and policies concerning water administration in the basin; answering for water law enforcement and supervision; reconsidering the cases of water administration; investigating any unlawful practices; and coordinating any inter-provincial disputes in water administration.

(2) Taking charge of mapping a comprehensive professional plan for the whole basin; answering for the supervision and implementation of the plan; undertaking the preparatory work of the key projects and the inter-provincial water projects; checking the technical aspects of the preparatory work of the large and medium-size projects according to the authorization; compiling the annual investment plan for the projects in the basin.

(3) Carrying out an integrated management of water resources (including surface water and ground water) in the basin; investigating and evaluating water resources; drawing up plans for inter-provincial water distribution and water regulation in the case of drought; organizing or directing the research on water resources for the important projects; implementing the rules of drawing-water permited within the authorization; directing the water-saving practices; organizing and coordinating the hydrological work of the principal rivers or sectors in the basin; issuing information on water resources within the basin.

(4) Answering for the protection of water resources; dividing water function areas; preventing the contamination of water resources; examining and approving the limit of acceptance of the contamination and suggesting the ultimate degree of tolerance; inspecting water amounts and the quality of the inter-provincial rivers and lakes; checking up the mouths for the discharge of contamination into the river trunk.

(5) Drawing up and implementing the plan for flood control within the basin; regulating water in flood and drought according to the rules and authorization; directing, coordinating and supervising flood control and drought fighting; undertaking the management and operation of flood detention areas; organizing research of the flood control of the important projects; in charge of the routines of the flood control office.

(6) Guiding the harnessing and development of the rivers, lakes, beaches and coasts; undertaking, within the authorization, the management and protection of rivers, dikes and water projects; checking and approving the construction of water projects; directing the safety management of water establishments; answering for the construction and management of the key water projects and inter-provincial projects; establishing project corporate; being responsible for the construction, danger-removal and monitoring of the central-government-invested projects; supervising the market of water project construction.

(7) Taking up and directing water and soil conservation and ecological construction and carrying out dynamic monitoring.

(8) Managing and operating the state-owned assets of the key projects and inter-provincial projects, drawing up water and electricity price levels, within the authorization; checking and supervising the application of the project funds invested by the central government.

(9) Undertaking other tasks from the Ministry of Water Resources.