Understanding the influencing factors and evolving trend of the Water-Sediment Regulation System (WSRS) is a fundamental scientific concern for safeguarding and managing the Yellow River. Prior research on the WSRS has been limited in its scope, as it has not employed a systematic analysis or considered the entire basin's engineering control system. This study takes a holistic approach, examining the sediment issue in the Yellow River as a dynamic and continuously evolving complex system. By integrating various theories such as system science, information theory, and dissipative structure, this study combines theoretical knowledge with practical sediment engineering control efforts. Research major finding: from 1990 to 2019, the average value of Sediment Regulation Index (SRI) was 55.99 points, the lowest was 50.26 points in 1990, and the highest was 61.48 points in 2019; the result indicate that the WSRS was less active, but the overall trend was oscillatory, and the overall trend moved gradually closer to the critical threshold of dissipative structure.