Ecological Water Demand Research Articles

Research on Vegetation Ecological Security in Arid Region Mountain Front River Valleys Based on Ecological Water Consumption and Water Demand

The central region of the Eurasian continent is widely affected by arid conditions, but the valleys in front of the mountains nurture ecosystems consisting of forests, shrubs, and grasslands. Preserving the ecological balance in these arid valley areas is an essential aspect of water resource planning and management. This study utilizes calculations of vegetation’s ecological water consumption and water requirements to quantitatively simulate groundwater levels. These simulated levels are then compared with the threshold depth suitable for vegetation, ultimately leading to the development of an ecological security assessment method for valley areas. The results show the following: (1) During 30 years, the water demand of river valley vegetation increased slowly, and the overall stability is about 4.82 × 108 m3. Among them, the ecological water demand of grassland is the largest. The water demand from June to August is about 68% of the whole year. (2) The results indicate that over a period of 30 years, the groundwater levels in the valley area have shown a gradual decline. The rate of decline in groundwater levels is approximately twice as fast in areas farther away from the river compared to areas closer to the river. The decline in groundwater levels typically begins in May each year. During the period of valley flooding in June, there is a temporary rise in water levels, followed by a continued decline afterwards. (3) The study area has a significant proportion of groundwater suitable areas, accounting for approximately 65% on average annually. Over the course of 30 years, the area experiencing groundwater deficiency has increased from 31% to 37%. (4) Over the past 30 years, the ratio of annual vegetation water consumption to water demand in the river valley has been slowly decreasing, and the vegetation growth status has changed from good growth to normal growth. (5) In the past 30 years, the area of ecological quality areas has decreased significantly, and most of them have been transformed into general areas. The area of ecologically fragile areas is increasing, and the area of fencing protected areas is slowly declining.

Assessing the Relationship between Ecological Water Demand of Haloxlon ammodendron and Its Wind Erosion Prevention Effect

Desert vegetation in the outer transition zone of an arid oasis serves as a protective barrier against wind and sand, safeguarding the oasis ecosystem. However, intensive agricultural water usage within the oasis has led to water depletion, posing a threat to the survival and growth of desert vegetation, as well as the associated increase in wind and sand phenomena. To ensure the sustainable distribution of water resources and maintain the stability of the oasis peripheral ecosystem, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between the ecological water demand of desert vegetation and its effectiveness in preventing wind erosion. Through a combination of field sample tests, field pit tests, and data analysis, this research focused on Haloxlon ammodendron, the most prevalent species on the oasis periphery, to explore the intricate relationship between its ecological water demand and resistance to wind erosion. The results showed that medium-vegetation-coverage soils exhibited a higher soil moisture content (7.02%) compared to high-vegetation-coverage soils (1.57%) and low-vegetation-coverage soils (3.41%). As the soil water content decreased, the growth rate of H. ammodendron’s plant height, new branches, and crown width decelerated. The ecological water requirement of H. ammodendron during its growth period was 70.95 mm under medium-vegetation-coverage conditions, exhibiting a significant increase of 14.6% and 12.3% compared to high- and low-vegetation-coverage conditions, respectively. Meanwhile, H. ammodendron exhibits remarkable wind erosion prevention effects in moderate coverage conditions, resulting in a significant reduction in surface sand collection and sand transport by 53.15% and 51.29%, respectively, compared to low vegetation coverage; however, no significant difference was observed when compared to high vegetation coverage. The SEM model results revealed that soil water content had an indirect effect on sand transport (R2 = 0.90) and sand collection (R2 = 0.96) through three pathways of action, namely: volatile water content–crown growth rate–wind speed–sediment discharge; volatile water content–plant height growth rate–vegetation coverage–wind speed–sediment discharge; and volatile water content–plant height growth rate–vegetation coverage–sediment accumulation. This study provides valuable insights for the scientific formulation and implementation of strategies aimed at protecting desert vegetation.

Changes in Water and Sediment Processes in the Yellow River and Their Responses to Ecological Protection during the Last Six Decades

The variation of river hydrologic process can reflect the impact of not only natural factors, but also human activities. The purpose of this study is to reveal the change in the hydrologic regime of the Yellow River and its response to ecological protection. Based on the daily water and sediment observation data of representative gauging stations of the Yellow River, we analyzed the variation of the annual and monthly runoff and suspended sediment load (SSL), as well as monthly mean runoff, suspended sediment transport rate (SSTR), sediment inflow coefficient, and hydrological regime in a decadal average of the gauging stations during the period of 1960–2019. The results showed that the variation of annual runoff and SSL, as well as the monthly mean runoff and SSTR in a decadal average, had a significant decreasing trend in the 1960s–1990s, which was mainly in response to the gradual implementation of ecological protection measures such as afforestation, terrace construction, check dam construction, etc., in the basin. In 2000s and 2010s, the annual runoff increased, while the SSL increased slightly. This was a response to the implementation of new river management measures such as ensuring the ecological water demand of the lower reaches and scouring the riverbed by manually regulated water discharged from the Xiaolangdi Reservoir. At the same time, the monthly mean runoff and SSTR for the flood season (July–October) decreased remarkably while the process curve of the monthly mean discharge and sediment concentration changed from a clockwise loop to a counterclockwise loop in the river reach below the Xiaolangdi dam. This was a comprehensive response to the environmental protection measures in the Yellow River basin, in which the construction and operation of the Xiaolangdi Reservoir played a key role. This study can provide reference for river basin management.

An inexact bi-level multi-objective modeling approach for managing agricultural water-food-carbon-land-ecology-nutrition nexus in an arid area

Multiple subsystems such as water, food, land, carbon, ecology, and nutrition are closely intertwined, and the resulting complexity and uncertainty pose challenges to water resource management. This study proposes an optimization framework from a novel water-food-carbon-land-ecology-nutrition (WONDER) nexus perspective for the integrated management of agricultural and ecological water resources. Firstly, the irrigation priority ranking of decision-making units (DMU) is obtained based on the remote sensing indices from the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. Secondly, the ecological satisfaction degree, which aggregates carbon sink satisfaction degree and ecological water demand satisfaction degree, is proposed to characterize the degree of achieving the pre-given ecological objectives. Then, the above two indicators (i.e., the irrigation priority ranking and the ecological satisfaction degree) are integrated with a fuzzy-interval credibility-constrained bi-level multi-objective programming model to realize: (1) reconciling conflicts in food nutrition, food security, economic development, and ecological conservation; (2) making trade-offs among the positions and preferences of different decision-makers; (3) dealing with the dual uncertainties of fuzzy-interval parameters; (4) obtaining optimal agricultural and ecological water allocation schemes. The applicability of the model is verified by taking Hongyashan Irrigation District of Minqin County as an example. The results show that: (1) the irrigation priority ranking for the DMUs is: DMU 10 > DMU 9 > DMU 4 > DMU 5 > DMU 1 > DMU 11 > DMU 6 > DMU 8 > DMU 7 > DMU 2 > DMU 3; (2) the ratio of agricultural to ecological water allocation in the irrigation district is about 3:1, which is consistent with the water use characteristics of this area; (3) the total water allocation during the whole growth period for different crops is mainly determined by planting area, and the ranking of the water allocation is: sunflower > maize > wheat > seed melon. Moreover, compared with the single-level models, the inexact bi-level multi-objective model can well coordinate the upper and lower decision-makers and the multiple decision objectives under the WONDER nexus. Therefore, the proposed framework can provide the scientific basis for balancing agricultural and ecological water management and conflicting objectives in similar irrigation districts through involving multiple subsystems and perspectives.

Study on the ecological water demand security assessment for the Panjin wetland based on landscape pattern

Abstract The model was used to predict and analyze the future changes in the total ecological water demand of the Panjin wetland, with a view to providing some scientific reference for the optimal allocation of regional water resources and the sustainable development of wetlands. The results showed that (1) the quality of the habitat environment in the Panjin wetland has a great influence on the change of the total water demand, and the total ecological water demand in the Panjin wetland will continue to decrease in the future. (2) There is a clear correlation between landscape pattern and ecological water demand. (3) The distribution characteristics of the landscape pattern are greatly influenced by political factors, thus affecting the total ecological water demand of the Panjin wetland.

Refined Calculation of Multi-Objective Ecological Flow in Rivers, North China

The concepts and calculation of basic, suitable, and fine ecological flow are put forward, and an integrated multi-method to calculate the ecological flow in rivers under multi-objectives is explored. Based on this, a refined calculation theory and method of a multi-objective ecological flow division based on time and space is proposed. That is, three commonly used methods, namely, the hydrology method, the hydraulics method, and the habitat method, are selected to finely calculate the ecological flow demand at different periods, in different sections, and under different ecological objectives. This approach breaks through the traditional ecological water demand calculation method based on hydrology and develops a river ecological flow calculation method based on water environmental protection objectives. A refined calculation method of ecological flow division based on time and space is developed to ensure that the ecological-hydrological process in rivers and lakes meets the ecological flow demand in different periods, different reaches, and different ecological objectives. Taking eight rivers entering Baiyangdian Lake as an example, the ecological flow demand in different river sections under different ecological objectives at different times is calculated to ensure the ecological flow process. The results show that the range of basic ecological flow demand range is 0.07–3.87 m3/s, the range of suitable ecological flow demand is 0.51~10.74 m3/s, and the range of fine ecological flow demand is 0.71~20.29 m3/s. In terms of spatial distribution, Ping River has the lowest demand for ecological flow, and the Zhulong River has the largest. In terms of the interannual ecological demand, those of the Baigou River, Fu River, Xiaoyi River, and Zhulong River are larger. In the demand process across the year, the demand is the largest from July to September, while the demand is the smallest from March to May. Similarly, most rivers face such problems as a sharp decline in runoff, drying up of the river, and an urgent need to restore ecology in northern China. This study also has insights and reference significance for other regions.

Water Conservation and Ecological Water Requirement Prediction of Mining Area in Arid Region Based on RS-GIS and InVEST: A Case Study of Bayan Obo Mine in Baotou, China

The overexploitation of mineral resources in northwestern China has resulted in severe ecological degradation and even desertification in certain mining areas. To support ecological restoration in these arid mining regions, we conducted a study on water conservation and ecological water demand using Bayan Obo as a case study. Based on remote sensing, geographic information systems, and the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs InVEST model, our study found that the mining area has lost its capacity for water production, with the water source conservation showing negative values. In addition, precipitation levels are far lower than evapotranspiration, making it difficult to retain precipitation. We predicted ecological water demand for the planning years (2025, 2030, and 2035) by combining qualitative and quantitative forecasting methods, with 2019 serving as the base year. The results indicated a downward trend in natural ecological water demand, while artificial ecological water demand exhibited the opposite trend. Changes in natural grassland and artificial green areas in the mining region were identified as the main drivers of changes in ecological water demand.

Calculation model and application of ecological water demand of watercourses in low-carbon sponge urban areas based on DPSA algorithm

Abstract To improve the prediction ability of river ecological water requirement in sponge low-carbon urban areas, a prediction model of it based on big data analysis was proposed. A statistical analysis model of river ecological water requirement in sponge and low-carbon urban areas was established. Differential Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm (DPSA) was used to calculate the characteristic quantity of river ecological water requirement in sponge and low-carbon urban areas. The detection model of ecosystem hydrothermal balance and lognormal distribution time series of groundwater level were constructed for the prediction of river ecological water requirement in sponge and low-carbon urban areas. Combined with the integrated control method of river ecological environment water demand forecasting and information exchange, a decentralized control model of river ecological water demand in low-carbon sponge urban areas was established. Through applicability analysis and model measurement analysis, combined with comprehensive index measurement, the prediction model of river ecological water requirement in low-carbon sponge urban areas was optimized. The empirical analysis results show that this method has good adaptability and high prediction accuracy for the prediction of river ecological water requirement in sponge low-carbon urban areas and improves the reliability of the prediction of river ecological water requirement and the matching level of urban ecological environment.

Could the hydrological conditions of Lake Baiyangdian support a booming metropolis?

In 2017, the Chinese government announced the development of another metropolis called Xiong'an New Area (XNA) to relieve the population and service pressures affecting Beijing. By the programs of the Chinese governments, the largest natural freshwater wetland of the XNA, Lake Baiyangdian (BYD), will provide the key ecosystem services for the region. However, whether the hydrological conditions of BYD can support this booming metropolis is still unclear. The hydrological condition evolutions and the ecological water demand of BYD in the near future were evaluated. The results showed that to maintain the ecosystem function of BYD and provide ecological services for the XNA, the annual ecological water demands of BYD ranged from 3.10 × 108 m3 to 6.35 × 108 m3 under different water exchange scenarios. Due to the insufficient water resources within the watershed, under the scenario of a 1.0 time year−1 frequency of lake water exchange, in wet years, normal flow years and dry years 1.32 × 108 m3, 2.10 × 108 m3 and 3.38 × 108 m3 of external water from the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers must be transferred into BYD to satisfy the ecological restoration of the XNA, and the costs may be as much as 77–277 million RMB (11.0–39.57 million USD) per year. The predicted results show that the external water demands may decrease slightly by 0.58 × 108–0.95 × 108 m3 year−1 and 1.02 × 108–1.19 × 108 m3 year−1 in the 2030s and 2050s, respectively. Agricultural water consumption reduction, inflow water quality improvement and the intelligent use and management of urban reclaimed water are necessary for maintaining the ecosystem function of BYD, and externally transferred water may be a potential factor needed to support the growing XNA.

Comprehensive evaluation of the ecohydrological response of watersheds under changing environments

Human activities and climate change pose a continuous threat to the ecological stability of natural rivers in many ways. Understanding and analyzing changes in flow regimes from a multidimensional perspective is essential for water resources management. In this research, a comprehensive evaluation framework was developed to quantitatively assess the hydrological condition of the basin in four aspects: river flow regime, ecological water demand, multiple time scales, and drivers. The health status of the Yuanjiang River was assessed using a combination of Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration (IHA) and eco-flow metrics, and differences in different drivers at different time scales were quantified based on the Choudhury-Yang equation and the ABCD model. The results show that after the abrupt change of the Yuanjiang River in 2004, the runoff decreased by up to 72.97 mm, three of the five groups of IHA reached moderate alteration or above, and its ecological flow was in a tight state for a long time. In addition, the reduction of runoff by precipitation and potential evapotranspiration is not negligible (contribution 40.56%, 6.91%), and the drastic changes in land use and the construction and operation of cascade reservoirs highlight the human impact (contribution 52.53%). Anthropogenic contributions to runoff changes deepen in the order of spring, summer, fall, and winter (6%, 51%, 83%, 95%), and on a monthly scale, human activities were the dominant factor in runoff variability in nine months (61–98%), with climatic factors driving runoff increases of 0.24–6.07 mm only in March, June, September, November, and December.

干旱区新疆天然绿洲生态需水量分析

干旱区新疆天然绿洲生态需水量分析

Ecological Water Demand Estimations for Desert Terminal Lake Survival under Inland River Water Diversion Regulation

Desert terminal lakes are important signals to discern ecological degradation crises, particularly in arid areas where an artificial project of ecological water diversion has designated a quota of river water to prevent lake body shrinkage and protect the ecosystem. Knowledge of the minimum ecological water demand (EWD) is thus necessary to ensure the basic health of lake ecosystems. This study analyzed the spatiotemporal evolution of water boundaries using Landsat satellites data via remote sensing technology from 2002 to 2017 in East Juyan Lake, an inland desert terminal lake of the Heihe River in northwest China. The minimum lake water demand was determined using two estimation methods: the lake-evaporation-oriented EWD method and the minimum water level method. In the latter method, both lake topography (using water-level area curves) and biological survival demands (using bighead carps as indicators) were considered to derive the minimum lake EWD. Water diversion to the lake over the past 15 years has increased the lake’s area, but there are still marked intra-annual seasonal variations. The annual minimum lake water demand was suggested to be 54 × 106 m3/year by comparing the different methods; however, it was not satisfied, and the lake survival was endangered when the occurrence frequency of the annual runoff in the Zhengyixia hydrological station exceeded 65%. This study offered promising directions for inland lake water resource management.

Evaluation method of ecological water demand threshold of natural vegetation in arid-region inland river basin based on satellite data

The ecological water demand (EWD) of natural vegetation is a key issue in regional water resource allocation and ecosystem management. Although the evaluation of the EWD of vegetation has been emphasized in numerous studies, research on the threshold EWD of vegetation, including the minimum and optimum EWD, as well as an effective quantitative analysis framework, are still lacking. Therefore, in this study, the evapotranspiration of natural vegetation in the plain area of the Tarim River Basin over the last22 years was estimated based on remote sensing image data. Additionally, the multi-year dynamics of the EWD of natural vegetation were analyzed. In this study, the concept of “latitude” was adopted from studies of ecosystem resilience, to propose a novel analytical framework to measure the minimum and optimal EWD of natural vegetation in inland arid areas. The results show that the average minimum and optimum EWD of natural vegetation is105.45 and 135.53 mm, respectively. The average minimum EWD of woodland and high- and low-coverage grassland is 129.13, 284.38, and 111.40 mm, respectively, and the mean value of the optimum EWD is 152.96, 382.05, and 141.16 mm, respectively. The novel approach of this study is simple and easy to use, and provides an effective method for quantitative evaluation of the EWD threshold of natural vegetation.

Collaborative Ecological Flow Decision Making under the Bengbu Sluice Based on Ecological-Economic Objectives

The construction of dams destroys the integrity of a watershed system and the continuity of natural water flow, creating a watershed with segmented and fragmented rivers. This, in turn, affects and even destroys the health and stability of the watershed ecosystem. This study selected the downstream area of Bengbu Sluice in the Huai River Basin of China as the study area. To address the increasingly prominent ecosystem degradation in the Huai River Basin, ecological flow thresholds were determined using habitat simulation and hydrological approaches for mutual validation. A multi-objective synergistic decision model incorporating ecological and socioeconomic objectives was developed to coordinate the economic and ecological water use conflicts in the study area. The optimal coordinated solution for the ecological flow of important biological habitats in the basin was determined with the multi-objective synergistic method. The results demonstrated that a coordinated solution could guarantee the ecological and economic water demands of the basin. The findings of this study can be used as a reference for scientific guidelines on future ecological operations in dam-controlled rivers.

The runoff changes are controlled by combined effects of multiple regional environmental factors in the alpine hilly region of Northwest China

The imbalance between the water supply and demand in arid and semiarid regions is becoming increasingly serious due to global warming and human activities. It is of great significance to reveal the variation characteristics of runoff and its main controlling factors for the sustainable management of regional water resources. However, few previous studies have considered the integrated effects of multiple control factors on runoff variation at different periodic scales. We collected meteorological and hydrological data from 1960 to 2019 in the Huangshui watershed and explored the correlation degree between runoff and regional environment factors such as precipitation (P), potential evaporation (ET0), mean temperature (T), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). The wavelet coherence indicates that there was a high degree of positive phase consistency between runoff changes and P, ET0, T and NDVI at an approximately 12-month period scale, with lag times of approximately 1, 2, 1 and 0 months, respectively. The P was the single factor most closely related to runoff, and its combined with ET0 dominated the runoff change during the whole study period. The Budyko frame combined with elastic coefficient analysis showed that the climate change were the main reasons for the increase in annual runoff in change period I (1981–1990), and changes in the underlying surface due to human activities and vegetation variation was the main reason for the decrease in runoff in change period II (1991–2019). The wetter climate brought more rainfall input but this did not make runoff appear an obvious upward trend. Therefore, for alpine regions with sensitive and fragile ecological environment, the balance between human water consumption, vegetation ecological water demand, and precipitation should be weighed. The combination of wavelet coherence analysis and Budyko framework is helpful to better determine the potential driving factors of regional runoff change.

Driving Mechanisms of the Evolution and Ecological Water Demand of Hulun Lake in Inner Mongolia

Hulun Lake is located in the Hulun Buir Grassland in Inner Mongolia and is an important component of the northern ecological barrier of China. Fluctuations in its area directly affect the stability of the surrounding ecological environments. In this study, Hulun Lake was taken as the study object, and meteorological data, water body area, water level, reservoir capacity, runoff volume, and social statistical data were used to study the dynamic changes in Hulun Lake and the critical driving forces. We constructed a balance analysis equation, determined the role of groundwater in the water cycle, and examined the minimum ecological water demand of Hulun Lake. The results of the analyses revealed that during the last 55 years, the variation trends of the water level, area, and reservoir capacity were generally consistent and could be divided into six stages. The increased temperature decreased precipitation, and increased evaporation resulted in decreased water flow from the major rivers supplying the lake, which was the main cause of the decrease in the water level and area of Hulun Lake. Groundwater was involved in the water cycle of Hulun Lake. After deducting the seepage and surface drainage, we found that the groundwater recharge volume was around 792 million m3 yearly. Based on the environmental, ecological, and production functions of Hulun Lake, the minimum ecological water demand is 11.272 billion m3.

Medium- and Long-Term Planning of an Integrated Eco-Compensation System Considering Ecological Water Demand under Uncertainty: A Case Study of Daguhe Watershed in China

Medium- and Long-Term Planning of an Integrated Eco-Compensation System Considering Ecological Water Demand under Uncertainty: A Case Study of Daguhe Watershed in China

An Ecological Expert System Optimization for Assessing Environmental Water Requirements of Hypersaline Lakes

The present study proposes an applicable methodology to optimize environmental water requirement of hypersaline lakes with a focus on Urmia lake as the case study in which remote sensing analysis, machine learning model and fuzzy expert system are linked. A machine learning model was developed to simulate effective abiotic parameters in which bands of operational land imager (Landsat 8) were inputs and depth and total dissolved solids were the outputs of the model. Moreover, an ecological expert system using Mamadani fuzzy inference system was developed to generate the habitat suitability map for the selected target species. Then, a multivariate linear model was developed to assess unit habitat suitability in which water level and total inflow of the lake were the variables of the model. An optimization model was developed to assess environmental water requirement in which habitat suitability between natural and regulated flows and water supply loss was minimized. The multivariate linear model was applied to assess habitat suitability in the optimization model. Based on the results in the case study, the proposed combined model is able to balance the ecological requirements and water demand by allocating 60% and 40% of total inflow to environmental water requirement and water demand respectively. Average habitat loss proposed by the optimal environmental water requirement was less than 20% which implies the robustness of the model. Generating habitat suitability maps of the lake by a reliable method which is used in the environmental flow optimization might be the significance of the proposed method.

Study on Ecological Allocation of Mine Water in Mining Area Based on Long-term Rainfall Forecast

Based on the mine water produced by mining, to improve the ecological environment, the optimal allocation of mine water resources is studied. To reduce the uncertainty of the calculation results of ecological water demand, the wolf colony algorithm neural network model is used for long-term rainfall forecast. Combined with the forecast annual rainfall, the ecological water demand is classified and calculated. The results show that the ecological water demand based on rainfall forecast can reduce the allocation of water resources in wet years to ecological, so that the surplus water resources can be used in industries, irrigation, and other aspects that can create economic benefits, and improve the utilization efficiency of water resources. The ecological allocation model of mine water based on long-term rainfall forecast can reduce the uncertainty of regional water resources allocation based on rainfall forecast, which has good guiding significance and practical value for the optimal allocation of water resources in arid and water shortage areas.

Ecohydrological Variation and Multi-Objective Ecological Water Demand of the Irtysh River Basin

Hydrological processes regulate the ecological processes of a basin. Climate change and anthropological activities lead to changes in the natural hydrological process of rivers, whereas variations in hydrological processes can disrupt the stability of ecosystems, resulting in various ecological challenges. Quantitative evaluation of ecological water demand and its key components can play a key role in the sustainable development of ecosystems. The studies of ecohydrological variation and multi-objective ecological water demand are of great significance for ecological protection and remediation due to the unique characteristics of each river basin and diverse ecological protection objectives. This study identified ecohydrological variation in ecosystems, focusing on the Irtysh River Basin as a case study, and improved methods for ecological water demand of valley forests and grasslands in terrestrial ecosystems and for the ecological water level of lake ecosystems. The results demonstrated that: (1) a drastic decrease in the annual average river flow of the basin and significant changes in ecohydrological characteristics can lead to reduced biomass; (2) the ecological water demand of valley forests and grasslands during the critical ecological stage (April–September) was 521 million m³, with 52.4% of total demand occurring in June and July. The minimum ecological water levels of the Burultokay and Jili lakes were 478.66 m and 480.66 m, whereas the maximum levels were 482.80 m and 483.20 m, respectively; (3) ecological regulation based on catchwork irrigation technology can create hydrological processes that meet the water demands of valley forests and grasslands and achieve remediation of the terrestrial ecosystem. The ecological water levels and the ecosystem balance of the Burultokay and Jili lakes can be maintained by optimizing the replenishment flow from the Irtysh River to the Burultokay Lake under different precipitation levels. This study can act as a reference for the ecological protection and remediation of the Irtysh River Basin and similar ecosystems globally.