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0 20250468

DOI: https://doi.org/10.11988/ckyyb.20250468

Research Status and Prospect of Sediment Flocculation in the Yangtze River

  • GUO Chao ,
  • GONG Zhi-long
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  • Key Laboratory of River Regulation and Flood Control of Ministry of Water Resources, Yangtze River Scientific Research Institute, Wuhan 430010, China

Received date: 2025-05-23

  Revised date: 2025-07-31

  Online published: 2025-09-22

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Abstract

The research on the flocculation of viscous sediment in the Yangtze River is of great significance for the study of sediment deposition laws and pollutant distribution within the basin. Based on the on-site flocculation observation data in the Yangtze River Basin, the spatio-temporal variation characteristics and main influencing factors of flocculation in the Yangtze River are analyzed and summarized. Obvious fine-grained sediment flocculation phenomena are observed in the Yangtze River Basin from the Three Gorges Reservoir Area to the Yangtze River estuary. During the flood season, the particle size of flocs decreases first and then increased along the way from the reservoir area to the estuary. During the flood and dry season, the particle size ranges of flocs in the reservoir area, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and the Yangtze River estuary are 22-58 μm, 26-98 μm, and 40-130 μm, respectively. The sedimentation velocity of flocs in both flood and dry seasons is shown to be greater in the Yangtze River estuary area than in the main stream of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the Three Gorges Reservoir Area. Among them, the sedimentation velocity of flocs in the main stream area of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River decreases along the way during the dry season. The settling velocities of flocs in the reservoir area, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and the Yangtze River estuary range from 0.13 to 0.61 mm/s, 0.21 to 0.62 mm/s, and 0.46 to 2.32 mm/s, respectively. The main influencing factors, action modes and thresholds of flocculation in each area are summarized. Looking ahead, research on sediment flocculation in the freshwater environment of the Yangtze River Basin should be strengthened, especially in the Three Gorges Reservoir and large reservoirs in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, as well as important lakes such as Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake, to provide theoretical references for pollution control and ecological environment protection in the Yangtze River Basin.

Key words： cohesive sediment; flocculation mechanism; Yangtze Estuary; middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River; Three Gorges Reservoir

Cite this article

GUO Chao , GONG Zhi-long . Research Status and Prospect of Sediment Flocculation in the Yangtze River[J]. Journal of Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute, 0 : 20250468 . DOI: 10.11988/ckyyb.20250468

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