Response of bankfull discharge to discharge and sediment load in the Lower Yellow River

This paper presents a study on the response of bankfull discharge to incoming discharge and sediment load based on long-term hydrological and bankfull discharge data measured on the lower reaches of the Yellow River. The analysis indicated that the bankfull discharge was a function of the preceding 5 to 6 yearsʹ flow regimes, revealing that bankfull channel dimensions were a result of the accumulative effect of several consecutive yearsʹ flow discharge and sediment load conditions. In other words, the mean relaxation time was about 5 to 6 years for channel adjustment. Theoretical methods for the prediction of bankfull discharge were developed, in which the response time or the relaxation time was fully considered. Testing of the methods using data observed at five hydrologic stations in the lower reaches of the Yellow River from 1960 to 2003 showed that the proposed methods can predict the variation of bankfull discharge in response to changes in the incoming discharge and sediment load. The proposed methods hold promise for predicting the magnitude and trend of channel response to other rivers undergoing aggradation or degradation from changes in hydrologic or sediment regime.