The runoff in the Urumqi River basin in China has been increasing significantly since the 1980s due to climate change. Runoff at three different stations in the basin has been rising, with a sudden increase in 1997 at the headwater station likely caused by glacier melting and increased precipitation. The trend of runoff at the middle station is similar to that at the headwater station. The overall increase in runoff is mainly due to higher precipitation in the mountainous areas.