Water gushes out from the Xiaolangdi Reservoir on the Yellow River..

Water gushes out from the Xiaolangdi Reservoir on the Yellow River during a sand-washing operation in Henan province June 19, 2009. The Yellow River has been plagued by an increasing amount of mud and sand. Each year, the river bed rises as silt deposits build up, slowing the water flow in the lower reaches. The operation was conducted to clear out the silt deposits at the dam, China Daily said

People look at the water gushing out from the Xiaolangdi Reservoir on the Yellow River during a sand-washing operation in Henan province June 19, 2009. The Yellow River has been plagued by an increasing amount of mud and sand. Each year, the river bed rises as silt deposits build up, slowing the water flow in the lower reaches. The operation was conducted to clear out the silt deposits at the dam, China Daily said