Check dams in the Yellow River basin: Sediment reduction efficiency and future development

Abstract Human activities are the main reasons for reducing sediment transport in the Yellow River, with thousands of check dams playing a crucial role. Quantifying the sediment reduction efficiency and analyzing the future development of check dams can help ecological construction and management in the Yellow River basin. This study developed a calculation method for sediment reduction by check dams and calculated the annual sediment reduction, and further estimated the sediment reduction efficiency at different periods. In addition, this study also analyzed the construction intensity and proposed construction strategies of check dams in the Yellow River basin. The results show that from 1952 to 2011, the cumulative sediment reduction of check dams in the middle reaches of the Yellow River was 8056 million tons, the annual sediment reduction varied from 0 to 403 million tons, with a multiyear average of 134 million tons. Among the major tributaries in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, the sediment reduction efficiency of check dams ranged from 0.51% to 76.88% due to the ecological management of slopes and the loss of sediment retention capacity by small‐ and medium‐sized check dams, the sediment reduction efficiency from 1980 to 1999 was higher than from 2000 to 2011. Following the analysis of the suitability of check dam construction, we calculated the potential and intensity of check dam construction in the Yellow River basin. The intensity of check dam construction exceeded 50% in the TDG‐LM region (Toudaoguai hydrological station to Longmen hydrological station) in the middle reaches of the Yellow River. We analyzed the siltation situation of large‐sized check dams and proposed strategies for the construction and management of check dams.