Abstract: Formation and evolution of an estuarine delta is an important part of river evolution and river geomorphology development. We conduct a laboratory experiment of a lacustrine delta controlling its upstream water and sediment inflows and downstream water level, and study its staged sedimentary evolution under periodic water and sediment inflows, focusing on the responses of its evolution and channel system development to the inflow variations and on the feasibility of laboratory-scale modeling of its staged evolution. This scale model is used to simulate the upper and lower reaches of the Ganjiang delta, and its design satisfies the similarity of water flow and sediment movement. The results show that the measured features of staged delta evolution are similar to the field observations, and it is reasonable and feasible to simulate in laboratory the evolution trends of lacustrine deltas under natural conditions through using different stages and controlling in each stage the water and sediment inflows and the lake water level.

Key words: lacustrine delta, staged, sedimentary evolution, experimental study, Ganjiang delta