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Why does the Tarim River have higher water levels from May through September?

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Map of Asia highlighting the location of the Takla Makan Desert in northwestern China, with the desert area shaded in orange. Surrounding regions, including parts of Europe, Africa, and the Pacific Ocean, are shown for geographic context. An inset in the top right corner provides a global view with the desert's location marked. — Takla Makan Desert The Takla Makan Desert is flanked by high mountain ranges: the Tien Shan to the north, the Kunlun Mountains to the south, and the Pamirs to the west.

The Tarim River experiences higher water levels from May through September primarily due to the seasonal melting of snow and ice in the surrounding mountain ranges, specifically the Tien Shan and the Kunlun Mountains.1

Because the region is extremely arid and receives very little annual precipitation, the river's flow is heavily dependent on this glacial and snowmelt runoff. As temperatures rise during the spring and summer months, the intensive thawing of these high-altitude snows and glaciers increases the volume of water entering the river system, leading to the high-water period that persists through September.123