Why has the Yellow River sometimes failed to reach the Bo Hai?

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The Yellow River has occasionally failed to reach the Bo Hai primarily due to the increasing demand for limited water resources in the basin, which has led to severe water shortages.1

While the river's historical tendency to shift its course—often caused by the accumulation of silt that builds up the riverbed and forces the stream to find a new path—has historically changed where it enters the sea, modern instances of the river failing to reach the Bo Hai are specifically attributed to the high demand for water for irrigation and other economic development needs.21