Differential Changes in Water and Sediment Transport Under the Influence of Large-Scale Reservoirs Connected End to End in the Upper Yangtze River

The analysis of changing trends of river runoff and sediment discharge and the exploration of their causes are of great significance for formulating sustainable development measures for river basin systems. Based on methods such as trend test, mutation detection, and regression analysis, this study conducts a systematic comparative research on the water–sediment processes in the river reach where large-scale cascaded reservoirs connected end to end are located in the upper Yangtze River, and obtains the following key research progress: For the study reach (between Sanduizi and Xiangjiaba Stations), during the period of 1966–2023, the change rates of annual incoming and outgoing runoff were 2.88 × 108 m3·yr−1 and −0.186 × 108 m3·yr−1, respectively, accounting for 0.017% and 0.013% of the annual average runoff. The changing trends were not significant. During the same period, the change rates of Suspended Sediment Load (SSL) at the inlet and outlet of this river reach were −8.0 × 105 t·yr−1 and −46 × 105 t·yr−1, respectively, accounting for 1.25% and 2.45% of their respective annual average sediment discharge. The SSL showed a significant decreasing trend, which was particularly characterized by a sharp reduction at the outlet. The massive sediment retention and multi-mode operation of cascaded reservoirs are the fundamental reasons for the variation in the water–sediment relationship and the sharp decrease in annual SSL in this reach, and they also lead to an obvious adjustment of water and sediment in the river basin that “cuts peaks and fills valleys” within a year. Climate change and other human activities have reduced the sediment input in the study reach. Looking forward to the next few decades, climate factors will remain the dominant factor affecting the inter-annual variation in runoff in the study area. In contrast, human activities such as reservoir operation will continue to fully control the sediment output of the river reach and also restrict the annual distribution of water and sediment. The results of this study can provide a reference for predicting the changing trends of water and sediment in similar river reaches with cascaded reservoir groups and formulating effective river management measures.