MECHANISM AND EFFECT OF CHANNEL EVOLUTION AT ESTUARY OF WEIHE RIVER TO HUANGHE RIVER

The channel at the estuary of the Weihe River to the Huanghe (Yellow) River has changed markedly since the 1970s. The Huanghe River has swung westwards about 5km and there was retrogressive deposition along the Weihe River. The mechanism and effect of channel evolution at the entrance of the Weihe River to the Huanghe River was analyzed with the survey data, historical statistic data and Landsat TM images of 1987 and 2002. Following conclusions were reached: 1) Physiognomy factors at the entrance, irrigation project and integrated environment evolvement in the Weihe River basin are the main factors for channel evolution at the entrance of the Weihe River to the Huanghe River. 2) The channel evolution not only reduces the ability of controling flood in the lower reaches of the Weihe River due to shrinking of the riverbed, but also increases the flood threat in the lower reaches of the Weihe River because the Huanghe River water inversely flows into the Weihe River. And there is a complexion of small flux, high water level and big disaster, which leads to the expansion of the alkali-saline cropland in the conflux area of the two rivers. 3) The regionalism and local protection must be broken to implement the integrated planning of the watershed and to decline the height of Tongguan to stabilize the physiognomy at the estuary.

New recognitions to genesis and exploitation of the Xuxi River in Jiangsu Province

Along the north bank of the Xuxi River, the sand-intercalated-muddy gravel layer from -3.7 - -5.8 m in the borehole 7508 at the East Dam and the middle, coarse and fine sand layer with a thickness of 4.5 m at the lower part of the borehole 8179 between the East Dam and the West Dam indicate that a large natural river was here before the Kingdom of Wu excavated the Xuxi Canal. The existence of Neolithic sites such as Xuecheng, Chaoduntou and Xiajiadang along the Xuxi River and the silt layer with dozens of meters archived under the earth＇s surface within a range of 1 km along both banks are the even more important evidences for the existence of the ancient Zhongjiang River. The floodgate of the East Dam nowadays makes against the communication between the Shuiyangjiang River and the Taihu Lake. The authors suggest the canal between Wuhu and Taihu Lake should be excavated as soon as possible, namely, the navigation channel from Wuhu through Guchenghu Lake, Xuxi River, East Dam, Liyang, Yixing to Taihu Lake should be further widen and the deposits composed of slope wash on the watershed between Shuiyangjiang River and Taihu Lake should be dredged away. Then, the channel journey can be shortened, the boats in ship transportation on the Yangtze River can be shunted to ensure the security of shipping, the resources of sand and gravel in the old river channel can be exploited and the dike of the Yangtze River can be reinforced. So, the problems of irrigation, flood diversion, pollution abatement and drainage of flooded fields in the lower Yangtze River will be resolved. Then, the above methods can impel the sustainable development of the Xuxi River and Taihu Lake area.