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Influence of changes in river system structure on hydrological processes in Taihu Basin, China

ABSTRACT With the rapid economic development and urbanization in Taihu Basin (eastern China), the river system has decayed and the connectivity of rivers and lakes has weakened, resulting in frequent floods. The impact of changes in river system structure on hydrological processes in the plain river network area was analysed against a background of urbanization. An indicator system was built to describe the quantitative, morphological and spatial structure of the river system. Analysis of the change in annual average and extreme water levels revealed the influencing mechanism of the changes in river system structure on the hydrological processes. The results indicate a decreasing tendency in the density of the river system in the study area, with a reduction in water surface ratio by about 20% in the past 50 years. Since the 1960s, the maximum and annual average water levels have increased. The degree of change in the mean monthly, annual lowest and annual highest water levels was great, with that in the non-flood season being higher than in the flood season. The decrease in the number of rivers directly reduced the storage and adjustable capacity of the basin.