Study on the assessment of the comprehensive benefits of the utilization of sediment resources in reservoir areas

The utilization of sediment in reservoirs as resources is an efficient way to reduce reservoir sedi-mentation and turn disadvantage into benefit. Based on economic, social and ecological functions of sediment resources, this paper puts forward a two-layer, three-dimensional evaluation index system. It also establishes six direct and indirect indicators with their formulas to calculate the comprehensive benefits of sediment utilization in the Xixiayuan reservoir of the Yellow River with a volume of 2000 m3. The results show that social benefits would be more prominent, with the ecological benefits coming second. This demonstrates that the indirect public value of utilizing the sediment resources in the Yellow River Basin can be far greater than its direct economic value.