The eigenvalues of particle size distribution were analyzed for the sediment of Yellow River from 1950 to 2005 and the formula addressing mean annual sediment input in any reach of the Yellow River were developed to account the sediment sources inputting into the Ningxia-Inner Mongolia reach of the Yellow River. The results show that a huge amount of sediment was delivered into the Ningxia-Inner Mongolia reach annually from 1950 to 2005, and the mean annual sediment input amount varied with time. With data mining and field investigation, we found that the variations were results from the interaction between desert and river as Yellow River flows through the deserts such as Tengger Desert, Hedong sandyland, Ulan Buh Desert and Kubuqi Desert in Ningxia and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, where aeolian sediment trans-portation was a major input source into the river. Furthermore, in the upper reach of ＂Ten Great Gullies＂ with great bed gradients, the aeolian sediment covering river banks can be eroded easily by both wind and water and carried into Yellow River by floods. In summary, we think that the key to control channel aggra-dation of Yellow River is reducing the amount sediment input into the Ningxia-Inner Mongolia reach, which in turn can be achieved through comprehensive prevention measures such as soil and water conservation, eco-system restoration and engineering measures, which especially should be strengthened in the ＂Ten Great Gullies＂ region.