The Kaidu River runs from west to east through the area, at times meandering and leaving cutoff lakes, and is fed from streams from the high ranges of the Tian Shan to the north and south.

The middle elevations, such as at Bayanbulak, receive an average of 270 mm of precipitation per year, enough to support steppe floral communities.

[3] The greater grasslands of the Bayanbulak are one of the most productive pasturelands in China, with an estimated 1.5 million sheep causing over-grazing in areas around the reserve.

In recent years, there has been aggressive growth of Pedicularis kansuensis, a type of Lousewort, that has damaged the local vegetation.

[3] The swamp areas, most valuable to the waterfowl, have characteristic vegetation of Carex (sedges), Triglochin palustris (marsh arrowgrass), Batrachium, and Utricularia (bladderwort).