The study looked at changes in water flow and sediment in the source region of the Yangtze River from 1957 to 1999. They found that the amount of water flowing in the river changed over the decades due to natural factors like climate change. In the 70s and 90s, there were more low flow years, while the 60s and 80s had more high flow years. Overall, the water flow stayed fairly stable, but decreased slightly in the 90s compared to the 80s. The amount of sediment in the river was closely linked to the water flow, decreasing when the water flow decreased. Most of the water flow and sediment occurred between May and October. The Tuotuohe River, one of the sources of the Yangtze River, gets its water from glaciers and has its own unique patterns of water flow and sediment.