YRCC, from March to July, 2008, successfully re-operated multi-reservoirs located in the mainstreams for ecosystem rehabilitation in the lower Yellow River. It was the first time and also a milestone event in the history of Yellow River harnessing to implement environmental flow with the particular concerns of aquatic animals in the estuary and coastal area apart from the marsh ecosystem in the lower Yellow River.

The marsh in the Yellow River Delta could be one of the biggest wetlands in the world but it ever suffered severe soil degradation, dramatic vegetation decrease, pronounced ecosystem deterioration because of the frequent cut-off of the Yellow River flow in the last century. Now, following the allocation and regulation of water resources in YRB from the year of 1998 to 2007 which encouragingly avoiding the cut-off of flow in successive 9 years in the downstream, reservoir reoperation for environmental purpose in the Lower Yellow River has topped the agenda of restoring and realizing the function as a healthy river.

Based on the water demand analysis of the wetlands in the Yellow River Delta, this water allocation and reservoirs reoperation was implemented by two phases. The first phase started from middle March till the early June, during which environmental flow was realized at Lijin Hydrologic Station, located closely to the wetlands and the last station before the river jumps into the sea. Aiming to generate a sound aquatic environment for the fishes? spawning and migration, this synthesized flow with variability recharged the coastal area with abundant fresh water and mineral needed for the life cycle.

Data measured at Lijin Hydrologic Station

In the second phase, the artificial flood was formed by the combined operation of multi-reservoirs in the middle stream. The floodplain was inundated, the thirsty wetlands were flooded seasonally again, and the water body was effectively recharged and thus mitigated the soil salinization.

Wetlands in the Delta flooded by the Yellow River flow

Water and sediment released from Xiaolangdi Reservior

Further effects of the synthesized flow and reservoirs reoperation on the ecosystem is still under observation and exploration so far, and there are reasons to believe that the ecosystem of the marsh in the Lower Yellow River will be further restored and protected with the continual efforts.