Develop Flexible Dams for Sediment Load Reduction of the Yellow River

The sticking point of the Yellow River is the problem of sediment load. It is especially the case for riverbed - forming earthy materials with grain size larger than 0.05 nun. It is just because of the filling up of mud and sand, the riverbed keeps raising and the flow route keeps swinging. Beyond the memory of men, the Yellow River has nourished generations of people living on both sides of the Yellow River. But, on the other hand, it has also brought serious disasters. In recent 50 years, China has made great efforts for flood control, sand control and water resources development, and has played an immeasurable role in the healthy development of the Yellow River. With the focus of national economical development moving from east to west, greater importance has been attached to sand control and water conservation of the Loess Plateau in northwest China. Through investigation and research, it has been found that plant barriers play an important role for harnessing of rivulets and channels of upper section of the Yellow River. This article has expatiate in detail the characteristics of the sand control effect of flexible plant dams as well as their effects for sediment load reduction in controlling of small valleys. Especially, this article has proposed that combining the uses of flexible dams with that of warp land dams is the best choice for a sustainable development of watercourse soil and water conservation system.