In order to study hydraulic environment required by the spawning grounds of four major Chinese carps in the middle reach of the Yangtze River, numerical simulation method was used to quantitatively analyze the morphological feature and flow characteristics of the spawning reaches. Hydraulic characteristics such as energy slope, flow regime, kenitic energy gradient, energy losses and Froude number were studied, and distributions of hydraulic elements in typical sections were analyzed using statistical method. The results showed that the four major Chinese carps spawning grounds have special characteristics, with special river morphology, obvious two-dimensional energy slope, complicated water flow regime, much energy loss, and small kinetic energy gradient and Froude number values in cross-section. This study could provide references for protecting the hydraulic environment required by the spawning ground of four major Chinese carps.
