Flood Defense and Water/Sediment Management—With Particular Reference to The Yellow River - River Dynamics and Integrated River Management - page 350

Diaokouhe
channel

Hekou
district

Heko u

19 96 cha nnel

Qingshuigou
channel

Lijin county

Y ellow

Kenli
county

Kenli

Lijin

Highway
Reservoir
River
Town

D ongying

Lijin
station

Dongying
district

Guangrao
county 1

Beijin g
Dongying

Guangrao

River

Fig. 6.21 Sketch of the administration of the Yellow River Delta (Dongying City)

the Yellow River delta has changed 11 times due to natural avulsions or human-controlled shifts of the
channel. The delta land has become a valuable agricultural resource and beginning in the 1980s delta has
seen considerable industrial development. Table 6.4 lists the main features of the Yellow River delta.
The Yellow River delta was created by rapid sediment deposition in the past century. Massive sediment
transport, caused by serious erosion of the Loess Plateau in central China, brings fertile soil to the Yellow
River delta and has made the delta expand by about 2,000 ha per year. The system is very dynamic and
fluctuates with the fluvial regime, tide, and surges. The deposited sediment is composed mainly of silt of
diameter about 0.02 mm, which is liable to be eroded and differs from large deltas elsewhere. Because of
the high speed of siltation of the channel, the Yellow River shifted its course 11 times in the period from
1855 to 1996. The recent change of the flow course from Diaokouhe to Qing-Shui-Gou occurred in 1976
(Fig. 6.21). Since then the shape of the Yellow River delta changed remarkably. The deposited silt in the
previous river (Diaokouhe) mouth was eroded and serious siltation took place in the new river mouth.
The Yellow River delta is mainly under the direct administration of the city of Dongying the Shengli
Oilfield, the second largest oil-field in China, is located in the delta, with proved oil reserves of 3.2
billion tons and 25.7 billion m 3 of natural gas. The most important economic stimulus comes from the
control, electricity, transportation and communication have rapidly developed. The new Dongying Port is