[2] About 75% of the annual runoff comes in the months of July, August and September, creating a regular summer flood season.

In seasonally and permanently-flooded areas there are reed swamps and wet meadows of Myricaria pulcherrima, Phragmites australis, and Calamagrostis pseudophragmites.

The riparian forests, known as Tugay, are dominated by the deciduous desert poplar (Populus euphratica) on the lower river terraces, along with Elaeagnus angustifolia.

The upper river terraces are home to drier forests and shrubby woodlands, with Tamarix ramosissima and Halostachys caspica along with Populus euphratica and salt-tolerant halophyte plants.

[2] The Silk Road passes through the Tarim Basin, and the region's rivers have supported settled and nomadic people for centuries.

Since the 1950s, the Chinese government has settled many people in the area from elsewhere in China, and the region's growing population accelerated conversion of habitat, draining wetlands, and diverting water for agriculture.

[2] In 2000, the government started regular water releases from the upstream dams into the lower Tarim, which allowed the forests, wildlife, and groundwater to recover somewhat.