THE HYDROLOGICAL EFFECT UNDER HUMAN ACTIVITIESIN THE INLAND WATERSHEDS OF XINJIANG, CHINA

I INTRODUCTIONNatllral environment and water transform in theworld have changed faster and faster under the effect ofhuman activities. The study on effect of human activities to hydrological processes, and its extent and tendency has been more and more important as one of theresearch projects of hydrology in the world (RAI et al.,1998, BASS et al., 1998, WANGet al.,, 1998; HILLet al., 1998; LIU, 1997). It became one of the mainresearch program of international Hydrological Decade(…

The hydrological effect under human activities in the inland watersheds of Xinjiang, China

Natural environment, inland water distribution and water circulation has been changed greatly affected by human activities in Xinjiang, China. Human activities developed quickly in the inland watersheds in Xinjiang after 1950. More than 50% of river water is drawn into irrigation area, and all water in parts of little river is drawn to canal or reservoirs. However, there is evident hydrological effect caused by human activities. 1) water distribution in arid land has changed. A lot of river wa- ter is drawn into oasis and water table inside of oasis has risen but declined out of oasis. However, water table has declined in some cities because of over pumping for groundwater. 2) Stream process has changed after water drawing and drainage for irriga- tion. Runoff in the lower reaches of river has generally decreased, and the lower reaches of some rivers are even disappeared for stream. 3) Large watersheds have been divided into several small watersheds. In some tributaries, most of the river water has drawn to irrigation area so that stream in the lower reaches has disappeared for years. 4) Evaporation at oasis has increased from 50 - 200mm/a to 800 - 1300mm/a after reclamation. But it decreased to 50mm/a or less out of oasis. Some lakes have reduced or dried. Water system with canals and reservoirs has appeared in the oases. 5) Water quality of inland rivers and lakes has generally deteriorated because it accepts drainage water from farmland and factories. 6) Effective scale of human activities on hydrological process in arid land has expanded from separate rivers to all watersheds; from surface water to groundwater; from drought season to flood season; and from single year to several years. scale of the effect of human activities to hydrological pro- cess is going larger and larger. Along with the effective usage of water resources in the inland watershed in Xinjiang, the tydro- logical effect of human activities will be mainly change to: 1) river in pain area will be canalized; 2) stream process will be con- trolled by human being; 3)lakes in plain area will degenerate; 4) water will be salty in the lower reaches of river. How ever, hy- drological condihons in Xinjiang will be better to water using and to natural environment.