Abstract: The stream system in the west Qilian Mountains includes the Shule River Basin and the Sugan Lake Basin, and the latter is merged into the former sometimes. The Shule River Basin is close to the Eurasian “drought center”, the annual precipitation in the plains there is more than 50 mm only, and it increases with the altitude in the mountains and can be up to more than 170 mm in maximum. Modern glaciers develop in the west Qilian Mountains under high altitude although the altitude of snow line is high, and the proportion of glaciersnow melt water is high in runoff volume. Along with climate change towards warmingwetting pattern, the annual precipitation is in an increase trend, glaciersnow melt is sped up, and the annual runoff volume at the debouchure is increased. The supplydemand contradiction of water resources become more and more serious and some serious ecological problems occur due to the excessive development of the piedmont oases. Only by relying on the rational redistribution of water resources and the construction of watersaving irrigation can the supplydemand contradiction of water resources be alleviated.

Key words: hydrological, water resources, precipitation, altitude, ice-snow melt water, the Qilian Mountains