China: China begins Yellow River water-sediment regulating operation for 2026.

Shotlist Henan Province, central China - June 22, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland) 1. Various of water being discharged from Xiaolangdi Reservoir 2. Workers at management center 3. Animations showing plan of water-sediment regulating operation China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland) 4. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Zhang Bingduo, director, Planning Division, Flood and Drought Disaster Prevention Bureau, Yellow River Conservancy Commission (ending with shot 5): "This year's water-sediment regulation is designed to maintain or expand medium-flow channels in the lower Yellow River. On the premise of safeguarding later-stage drought-fighting water supplies and flood discharge capacity, it seeks to flush sediments from reservoirs, reduce deposition, optimize reservoirs' sedimentation patterns, support ecological regulation of the Yellow River, and replenish water in the delta, thus ultimately improving the river's ecological environment." China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland) 5. Various of Yellow River, water being discharged from reservoir 6. Various of river, reservoir, land Henan Province, central China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland) 7. Workers at management center 8. Aerial shot of Xiaolangdi Reservoir China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland) 9. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Li Peng, director, Water Regulation Division, Xiaolangdi Water Project's management center (starting with shots 7-8/ending with shot 10): "This year, there is relatively abundant water available for the regulation operation. The planned initial water level for 2026 is about 252 meters, six meters higher than the 246 meters recorded in 2025. The water storage capacity of the Xiaolangdi Reservoir is nearly one billion cubic meters greater than last year." Henan Province, central China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland) 10. Various of Xiaolangdi Reservoir Storyline China on Monday launched its 2026 water-sediment regulating operation on the Yellow River as the Xiaolangdi Water Project in central China's Henan Province increased water discharge to flush accumulated sediment downstream. This year's operation is expected to last about 21 days, aiming to remove an estimated 100 million tons of mud and sand from the river. According to the plan, the operation will be carried out through the coordinated management of multiple reservoirs: the Wanjiazhai Reservoir, the Sanmenxia Reservoir and the Xiaolangdi Reservoir, all situated along the Yellow River. Known for carrying relatively little water but vast amounts of sediment, the Yellow River has long faced challenges from sediment accumulation in its lower reaches. Over time, the buildup raises the riverbed, creating the risk of a "suspended river" that flows above the surrounding land and poses major flood-control challenges. Located at the outlet of the final gorge section in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, the Xiaolangdi Water Project plays a key role in regulating water and sediment before they enter the lower river plain. The project controls about 91.2 percent of the river's runoff and nearly all of its sediment transport. Each year before the peak flood season, the Xiaolangdi Reservoir releases large volumes of water to scour the river channel. The powerful flow helps deepen and widen the main channel, improve flood discharge capacity and reduce the risk of levee breaches. "This year's water-sediment regulation is designed to maintain or expand medium-flow channels in the lower Yellow River. On the premise of safeguarding later-stage drought-fighting water supplies and flood discharge capacity, it seeks to flush sediments from reservoirs, reduce deposition, optimize reservoirs' sedimentation patterns, support ecological regulation of the Yellow River, and replenish water in the delta, thus ultimately improving the river's ecological environment," said Zhang Bingduo, director of the Planning Division of the Flood and Drought Disaster Prevention Bureau of the Yellow River Conservancy Commission. Since 2008, similar operations have supplemented water supply to the Yellow River Delta Nature Reserve for 17 times, contributing a total replenishment volume of 1.65 billion cubic meters. Since 2020, the average annual replenishment volume has been no less than 200 million cubic meters. "This year, there is relatively abundant water available for the regulation operation. The planned initial water level for 2026 is about 252 meters, six meters higher than the 246 meters recorded in 2025. The water storage capacity of the Xiaolangdi Reservoir is nearly one billion cubic meters greater than last year," said Li Peng, director of the Water Regulation Division of Xiaolangdi Water Project's management center.