Since the Danjiangkou Reservoir impoundment,flow and sediment conditions in the wandering reach of the Hanjiang River’s middle and lower reaches have changed significantly,weakening waterway stability.On the basis of long-term reservoir impoundment data and measured topographic data of the 110 km reach from Nianpanshan (Yanshantou Dam site) to Zhengjinmiao,we systematically analyze the variation patterns of flow-sediment characteristics,evolution trends of shoals,and navigation obstruction features in this reach.The results show that from 1988 to 2012,the Shizikou shoal section has a cumulative scouring volume of 12.7235 million m3,with the bank-full channel widening,the main channel scouring up to 10 m deep.Meanwhile,the side bars and mid-channel bars experiences frequent erosion and deposition;the phenomena of cutoff and alternating evolution of branched channels are prominent,leading to drastic changes in the shoals and bars.This makes waterway conditions extremely unstable,with frequent navigation channel shifts and severe hindrances.Accordingly,governance principles combining bar stabilization-bank protection with medium-low flow regulation are proposed,with a method to determine regulation parameters.The minimum designed navigable discharge downstream of the Nianpanshan Hydro-junction is determined as 445 m3/s.