Editing Yellow River (section)

===Middle reaches===
{{main|Ordos Loop|Hetao}}
[[File:Landzhou 07-2005.jpg|right|thumb|At [[Lanzhou]], Gansu]]
[[File:Shapotou.jpg|thumb|At [[Shapotou]], Ningxia]]
[[File:Qiankun Bend.jpg|thumb|Qiankun bend in [[Yonghe County]]]]
[[File:Luoyang-most.przez.rzeke.LuoHe.przed.ujsciem.do.HuangHe.jpg|thumb|At [[Luoyang]], Henan]]
The [[Ordos Loop]] formed by an enormous twist of the Yellow River, beginning at [[Zhongning County]] in [[Ningxia]] and ending with a drastic eastward turn at its confluence with the [[Wei River|Wei]] at [[Tongguan County|Tongguan]] in [[Shaanxi]]. However, the official division for the middle reaches of the river run from [[Hekou, Togtoh County|Hekou]] in [[Togtoh County]], [[Inner Mongolia]], to [[Zhengzhou]], [[Henan]]. The middle reaches are {{convert|1206|km|0|sp=us|abbr=on}} long, with a basin area of {{convert|344000|km2|sp=us|sigfig=3}}, 45.7% of the total, with a total elevation drop of {{convert|890|m|sigfig=3|sp=us|abbr=on}}, an average drop of 0.074%. There are 30 large tributaries along the middle reaches, and the water flow is increased by 43.5% on this stage. The middle reaches contribute 92% of the river's silts.

The middle stream of the Yellow River passes through the [[Loess Plateau]], where substantial erosion takes place. The large amount of mud and sand discharged into the river makes the Yellow River the most [[sediment]]-laden river in the world. The highest recorded annual level of silts discharged into the Yellow River is 3.91&nbsp;billion tons in 1933. The highest silt concentration level was recorded in 1977 at 920&nbsp;kg/m<sup>3</sup> (57.4&nbsp;lb/ft<sup>3</sup>). These sediments later deposit in the slower lower reaches of the river, elevating the [[river bed]] and creating the famous "river above ground". From Hekou to Yumenkou, the river passes through the longest series of continuous valleys on its main course, collectively called the Jinshan Valley. The abundant hydrodynamic resources stored in this section make it the second most suitable area to build hydroelectric power plants. The famous [[Hukou Waterfall]] is in the lower part of this valley on the border of [[Shanxi]] and [[Shaanxi]].