Why did the Yellow River flood northern Jiangsu during Kangxi’s reign?

During the reign of the Kangxi emperor, the Yellow River frequently flooded northern Jiangsu because the river had been long neglected, leading to instability in its course where it joined the Huai River.1

The Yellow River is the world’s most heavily silted river, and its tendency to deposit sediment causes the riverbed to build up over time, often rising above the level of the surrounding land. When these elevated riverbeds or their protective levees failed, the water would breach its banks and shift course, frequently inundating the plains of northern Jiangsu.23451

Recognizing the severity of this issue, Kangxi prioritized riparian works to stabilize the river. In 1677, he appointed Jin Fu as superintendent of these works; by 1683, Jin had successfully completed embanking and dredging projects to stabilize the river's flow and protect the region.1