Changes in Water Resources Systems:
Methodologies to Maintain Water Security and Ensure Integrated Management
(Proceedings of Symposium HS3006 at IUGG2007, Perugia, July 2007). IAHS Publ. 315, 2007, 132-141
Changes
and control processes of water and related ecology in the lower reaches of the
Tarim River
QITING ZUO
School of Environment
& Water Conservancy, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
zuoqt@zzu.edu.cn or zuoqt@sina.com
Abstract The Tarim River, which is located in the arid region, is the longest continental river in China. The inflow to the mainstream of the Tarim River has been shrinking due to natural and human factors, causing the streamflow to dry up over 300 km in the lower reaches. During the high water period from 2000 to 2003, and the high water level of Bosten Lake, urgent water diversions from Bosten Lake to the lower reaches of the Tarim River were established five times to save the ecology. Thus, the 30-year period of streamflow drying-up to an extent of over 300 km in the lower reaches of the Tarim River, has ended. This is the first water diversion created solely for the purpose of saving the ecology in China. In this paper, the changes of the streamflow drying-up are briefly explained, followed by analyses of control processes and their effects on the water diversion.
Key words changes in the ecology; control processes of
the ecology; Tarim River