This paper investigates the important scientific problem of river regulation strategies in the lower reaches of the Yellow River,and discusses the “geo-basis” of river regulation.The concept of a geo-basis to river regulation in the lower Yellow River was discussed in terms of subsidence and sedimentation features of the river plain;channel features,erosion characteristics of the Loess Plateau and storm-flood features of the middle and lower reaches.The geographic features of the lower Yellow River have gradually changed since the Holocene but there has been no fundamental change.Based on an analysis of the geo-attributes of the lower reaches of the Yellow River,several conclusions on its river regulation were made.The release of sediment should be the first measure of river regulation because of deposition in the lower reaches.The river channels should be provided with adequate space for wandering in the lower reaches.The tail river should be also provided with necessary wandering space because of weak marine dynamics in the estuary area and changes in the delta.Because the erosion environment of the Loess Plateau will not fundamentally change,river harnessing of the middle reaches should focus on improving the plateau morphology,which can be done by reducing the fragmentation of terrain and building a planation surface.Eco-remediation should focus on converting farmland to grassland.There may be extreme floods in the future,as has occurred previously,thus an extreme flood defense system should be considered for the lower reaches.A periodic law for regulation in the Yellow River is discussed.We also discuss how the current use of the lower reaches of the Yellow River is unsustainable and it is urgent to research artificial rechanneling and the creation of new flow paths for the lower reaches. This paper investigates the important scientific problem of river regulation strategies in the lower reaches of the Yellow River, and discusses the “geo-basis” of the river regulation. The concept of a geo-basis to river regulation in the lower Yellow River was discuss in terms of subsidence and sedimentation features of the river plain; channel features, erosion characteristics of the Loess Plateau and storm-flood features of the middle and lower reaches. geographic features of the lower Yellow River have gradually changed since the Holocene but there has been no fundamental change. Based on an analysis of the geo-attributes of the lower reaches of the Yellow River, several conclusions on the river regulation were made. The release of sediment should be the first measure of river regulations because of deposition in the lower reaches. The river channels should be provided with adequate space for wandering in the lower reaches. The tail river should be also provided with necessary wandering s pace because of weak marine dynamics in the estuary area and changes in the delta.Because the erosion environment of the Loess Plateau will not fundamentally change, river harnessing of the middle reaches should focus on improving the plateau morphology, which can be done by reducing the fragmentation of terrain and building a planation surface. Eco-remediation should focus on converting farmland to grassland. Who may be extreme floods in the future, as has occurred previously, thus an extreme flood defense system should be considered for the lower reaches. law for regulation in the Yellow River is discussed. We also discuss how the current use of the lower reaches of the Yellow River is unsustainable and it is urgent to research artificial rechanneling and the creation of new flow paths for the lower reaches.