Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Large Addition of Freshwater to the Tidal Reaches of the Yangtze (Changjiang) River

  • Published:
Estuaries and Coasts Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Freshwater discharge through the estuarine reach is always affected by tides and often composed of multiple distributary channels. The current estimation of freshwater input to the ocean by large rivers, therefore, is usually based on discharge measured at some distance upstream of the river mouth. Thus, records, however, may not truly reflect the river discharge to the ocean. In this paper, we consider the case of the Yangtze River where the furthest downstream gauging station is some 600 km upstream of the river mouth. Recent gaugings of the flow at Xuliujing, 69 km upstream of the river mouth, are used here to refine the estimate of the Yangtze flow to the sea. Given the errors in flow gauging, we consider only differences between Datong and Xuliujing > 15% as being significant. The results show that flows exceed this threshold on over 120 days with 63% being days when flow is larger at the downstream station. Most of these days with larger flow are in the period July to September, while most of the days when flow is less downstream occur in the period March to June. Annual flow differences between Xuliujing and Datong are only small percentages of the annual flow at Xuliujing for the years for which we have the records (1.78, 2.93, and 4.81% for normal, wet, and dry years, respectively) though these are still significant volumes of water. Local precipitation is the main driver of flow increases between Datong and Xuliujing in the July to September period, while water abstraction for irrigation between March and June appears to be the main cause of water loss in this reach. We recommend that water budgets for the tidal reaches of large rivers around the world are needed to accurately determine freshwater discharges from the rivers to the ocean and their temporal patterns.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anthony, E.J., A. Gardel, N. Gratiot, C. Proisy, M.A. Allison, F. Dolique, and F. Fromard. 2010. The Amazon-influenced muddy coast of South America: a review of mud-bank-shoreline interactions. Earth-Science Reviews 103: 99–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Antico, A., and D.M. Kröhling. 2011. Solar motion and discharge of Paraná River, South America: evidence for a link. Geophysical Research Letters 38: L19401.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bonsal, B.R., X. Zhang, L.A. Vincent, and W.D. Hogg. 2001. Characteristics of daily and extreme temperatures over Canada. Journal of Climate 14 (9): 1959–1976.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cai, H., H.H.G. Savenije, and C. Jiang. 2014. Analytical approach for predicting fresh water discharge in an estuary based on tidal water level observations. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 11 (6): 7053–7087.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, Z., J. Li, H. Shen, and Z. Wang. 2001. Yangtze River of China: historical analysis of discharge variability and sediment flux. Geomorphology 41 (2–3): 77–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, Z., Z. Wang, B. Finlayson, J. Chen, and D. Yin. 2010. Implications of flow control by the Three Gorges Dam on sediment and channel dynamics of the middle Yangtze (Changjiang) River, China. Geology 38 (11): 1043–1046.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, D., M. Webber, B. Finlayson, J. Barnett, Z.Y. Chen, and M. Wang. 2013. The impact of water transfers from the lower Yangtze River on water security in Shanghai. Applied Geography 45: 303–310.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, J., B.L. Finlayson, T.Y. Wei, Q.L. Sun, M. Webber, M.T. Li, and Z.Y. Chen. 2016. Changes in monthly flows in the Yangtze River, China—with special reference to the Three Gorges Dam. Journal of Hydrology 536: 293–301.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CSNWDPC (China South-to-North Water Diversion Project Construction Yearbook Compilation Committee). 2017. China south-to-north water diversion project construction yearbook. Beijing: China Electric Power Press (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Dai, Z.J., A. Chu, M.J.F. Stive, X.L. Zhang, and H. Yan. 2011a. Unusual salinity conditions in the Yangtze Estuary in 2006: impacts of an extreme drought or of the Three Gorges Dam? Ambio 40 (5): 496–505.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dai, Z.J., J.Z. Du, X.L. Zhang, N. Su, and J.F. Li. 2011b. Variation of riverine material loads and environmental consequences on the Changjiang estuary in recent decades. Environmental Science and Technology 45 (1): 223–227.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, R.J., L. Speight, J. Hall, S. Djordjevic, D. Savic, and J. Leandro. 2008. Attribution of flood risk in urban areas. Journal of Hydroinformatics 10 (4): 275–288.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Di Baldassarre, G., and A. Montanari. 2009. Uncertainty in river discharge observations: a quantitative analysis. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 13 (1): 913–921.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • European ISO EN Rule 748. 2007. Measurement of liquid flow in open channels—velocity-area methods, Reference number ISO 748:2007 (E), International Standard.

  • Fielder, F.R. 2003. Simple, practical method for determining station weights using Thiessen polygons and isohyetal maps. Journal of Hydrologic Engineering 8 (4): 219–221.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Finlayson, B.L., J. Barnett, T. Wei, M. Webber, M. Li, M.Y. Wang, J. Chen, H. Xu, and Z. Chen. 2013. The drivers of risk to water security in Shanghai. Regional Environmental Change 13 (2): 329–340.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giosan, L., J. Syvitski, S. Constantinescu, and J. Day. 2014. Climate change: protect the world’s deltas. Nature 516 (7529): 31–33.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gringorten, I.I. 1963. A plotting rule for extreme probability paper. Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres 68 (3): 813–814.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haddeland, I., J. Heinke, H. Biemans, S. Eisner, M. Flörke, N. Hanasaki, M. Konzmann, F. Ludwig, Y. Masaki, J. Schewe, T. Stacke, Z.D. Tessler, Y. Wada, and D. Wisser. 2014. Global water resources affected by human interventions and climate change. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 111 (9): 3251–3256.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoitink, A.J.F., F.A. Buschman, and B. Vermeulen. 2009. Continuous measurements of discharge from a horizontal ADCP in a tidal river. Water Resources Research 45 (11): W11406.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). 2007. In Climate Change 2007: the physical science basis-contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, ed. S. Solomon et al., 663–745. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Isidoro, J.G.P., J.M.P.D. Lima, and J. Leandro. 2012. Influence of wind-driven rain on the rainfall-runoff process for urban areas: scale model of high-rise buildings. Urban Water Journal 9 (3): 199–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kawanisi, K., M. Razaz, A. Kaneko, and S. Watanabe. 2010. Long-term measurement of stream flow and salinity in a tidal river by the use of the fluvial acoustic tomography system. Journal of Hydrology 380 (1–2): 74–81.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kuang, C.P., W. Chen, J. Gu, T.C. Su, H.L. Song, Y. Ma, and Z.C. Dong. 2017. River discharge contribution to sea-level rise in the Yangtze River Estuary, China. Continental Shelf Research 34: 63–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Largier, J.L., J.T. Hollibaugh, and S.V. Smith. 1997. Seasonally hypersaline estuaries in Mediterranean-climate regions. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 45 (6): 789–797.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lauri, H., H. de Moel, P.J. Ward, T.A. Rasanen, M. Keskinen, and M. Kummu. 2012. Future changes in Mekong River hydrology: impact of climate change and reservoir operation on discharge. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 16 (12): 4603–4619.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, K., H.C. Ho, M. Marian, and C.H. Wu. 2014. Uncertainty in open channel discharge measurements acquired with StreamPro ADCP. Journal of Hydrology 509 (4): 101–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, M., Z. Chen, B. Finlayson, T. Wei, J. Chen, X. Wu, H. Xu, M. Webber, J. Barnett, and M. Wang. 2015. Water diversion and sea-level rise: potential threats to freshwater supplies in the Changjiang River estuary. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science 156 (1): 52–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu, X.X. 2004. Vulnerability of water discharge of large Chinese rivers to environmental changes: an overview. Regional Environmental Change 4 (4): 182–191.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McDonald, R.I., P. Green, D. Balk, B. Fekete, C. Revenga, M. Todd, and M. Montgomery. 2011. Urban growth, climate change, and freshwater availability. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 108 (15): 6312–6317.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mei, X., Z. Dai, P.H.A.J.M. van Gelder, and J. Gao. 2015. Linking Three Gorges Dam and downstream hydrological regimes along the Yangtze River, China. Earth and Space Science 2 (4): 94–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mei, X., Z. Dai, S. Darby, S. Gao, J. Wang, and W. Jiang. 2018. Modulation of extreme flood levels by impoundment significantly offset by floodplain loss downstream of the Three Gorges Dam. Geophysical Research Letters 45 (7): 3147–3155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Milliman, J.D., and K.L. Farnsworth. 2011. River discharge to the coastal ocean—a global synthesis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Transport of the People’s Republic of China. 2015. Specifications of hydrometry for port and waterway engineering. Beijing: China Communication Press Co. Ltd..

    Google Scholar 

  • Moftakhari, H.R., D.A. Jay, S.A. Talke, T. Kukulka, and P.D. Bromirski. 2013. A novel approach to flow estimation in tidal rivers. Water Resources Research 49 (8): 4817–4832.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morse, B., M. Richard, K. Hamai, D. Godin, Y. Choquette, and G. Pelletier. 2010. Gauging rivers during all seasons using the Q2D velocity index method. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering 136 (4): 195–203.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nepal, S. 2016. Impacts of climate change on the hydrological regime of the Koshi river basin in the Himalayan region. Journal of Hydro-Environment Research 10: 76–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nepal, S., W.A. Flügel, and A.B. Shrestha. 2014. Upstream-downstream linkages of hydrological processes in the Himalayan region. Ecological Processes 3 (19): 1–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen, A.D., H.H.G. Savenije, D.N. Pham, and D.T. Tang. 2008. Using salt intrusion measurements to determine the freshwater discharge distribution over the branches of a multi-channel estuary: the Mekong Delta case. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science 77 (3): 433–445.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nijssen, B., G.M. O’Donnell, D.P. Lettenmaier, D. Lohmann, and E.F. Wood. 2001. Predicting discharge of global rivers. Journal of Climate 14 (15): 3307–3323.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nixon, S.W. 1995. Coastal marine eutrophication: a definition, social causes, and future concerns. Ophelia 41 (1): 199–219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Savenije, H.H.G. 1988. Influence of rain and evaporation on salt intrusion in estuaries. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering 114 (12): 1509–1524.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simpson, M.R. 2001. Discharge measurements using a broad-band acoustic Doppler current profiler, 01–01. Sacramento: US Geological Survey Open-File Report.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stofberg, S.F., G.H.P.O. Essink, P.S. Pauw, P.G.B. de Louw, A. Leijnse, and S.E.A.T.M. van der Zee. 2017. Fresh water lens persistence and root zone salinization hazard under temperate climate. Water Resources Management 31 (2): 689–702.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tessler, Z.D., C.J. Vörösmarty, M. Grossberg, I. Gladkova, H. Aizenman, J.P.M. Syvitski, and E. Foufoula-Georgiou. 2015. Profiling risk and sustainability in coastal deltas of the world. Science 349 (6248): 638–643.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • The Ministry of Water Resources of the People’s Republic of China (MWRPRC). 2012. Code for hydrologic data processing. Beijing: China Water Power Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu, Y.J., and K.S. Wu. 2006. Seasonality and interannual variability of freshwater inflow to a large oligohaline estuary in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science 68 (3–4): 619–626.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu, K.H., J.D. Milliman, Z.S. Yang, and H.J. Wang. 2006. Yangtze sediment decline partly from Three Gorges Dam. Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union 87 (19): 185–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, S.L. 2013. Discussion on contribution of water and sediment fluxes to sea from sub-catchment below Datong Station of Yangtze River. Yangtze River 44 (3): 13–15 (in Chinese with English abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, E.F., H.H.G. Savenije, S.L. Chen, and J.Y. Chen. 2012. Water abstraction along the lower Yangtze River, China, and its impact on water discharge into the estuary. Physics and Chemistry Earth 47-48: 76–85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge Professor B. Finlayson at the University of Melbourne for proof-reading the manuscript. We are also very grateful to Professor Isaac Santos and the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments that helped to improve the previous manuscript.

Funding

This study was jointly supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (41706093;41701001;41576087), the Open Fund of the Laboratory for Marine Geology and Environment, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (MGQNLM201706).

Author information

Author notes

  1. Xuefei Mei and Min Zhang contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Estuarine & Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China

    Xuefei Mei, Zhijun Dai, Wen Wei & Weihua Li

  2. Department of Geography, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 201234, China

    Min Zhang

Authors
  1. Xuefei Mei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Min Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zhijun Dai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Wen Wei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Weihua Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhijun Dai.

Additional information

Communicated by Isaac Santos

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Mei, X., Zhang, M., Dai, Z. et al. Large Addition of Freshwater to the Tidal Reaches of the Yangtze (Changjiang) River. Estuaries and Coasts 42, 629–640 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-019-00518-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-019-00518-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation