2.1 Study area
The Qilian Mountains form a huge marginal mountain range in the
northeastern section of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
(94°E~104°E, 36°N~39°N). The Shiyang,
Heihe, and Shule Rivers which originated on the north slope of the
Qilian Mountains, are the three inland rivers of the Hexi Corridor. The
surface water resources in the upper reaches of the Shiyang River are
characterized by unequal
distribution annually The Qilian Mountains are the main runoff areas for
inland rivers (Fig. 1). In recent years, reservoirs have been built near
the exit of each tributary, including the Xiying Reservoir, the Nanying
Reservoir, the Huangyang Reservoir and so forth (Fig. 1). The existence
of reservoirs in the eastern section of the Qilian Mountains and the
stability of their water volume have a direct impact on the industrial
and agricultural production and the improvement of ecological conditions
for the Wuwei and Minqing Oasises the Minqing Oasis being one of the
oases with the largest ecological function in the eastern section of the
Hexi Corridor.
The Xiying Reservoir is an important and typical reservoir in the region
which has irrigation as its main function and plays an important role in
flood control and power
generation.
The total storage capacity is 2.35×107 m3, and the
effective irrigation area is 252.33
km2.
Figure 1. Location of the research area