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[Display omitted] • Reservoir is the main place for changes of hydro chemical characteristics. • Artificial channels and reservoir systems have changed the temporal and spatial distribution of surface water chemistry. • Rock lithology and evaporate crystallization are decisive factors for surface water hydro chemistry. Reservoirs provide more than 90% of water for agricultural, municipal, and environmental flows in arid regions. Yet, these resources may be compromised if the effects of reservoirs on water chemistry are not considered. This manuscript summarizes water chemistry data collected from May 2014 to October 2018 in the Shiyang Basin, an endorheic basin in arid North-Central China, where samples were collected from a chain of reservoirs, including headwater (mountain), mid-reach (oasis), and lower (desert) reservoirs. All samples consisted of a mixture of Ca-HCO 3 , Ca (Mg)-HCO 3 , and Na-SO 4 (Cl), with concentrations increasing at lower elevations. Stable isotopes indicate that most evaporation occurs in reservoirs, rather than in stream channels. Rock lithology is the primary factor influencing water chemistry in the headwater and mid-reach reservoirs, with the additional influence of imported water from the Yellow River in the mid-reach reservoir. Water quality in the desert reservoir was primarily influenced by evaporative crystallization. We show that these reservoirs are the primary source of hydrochemical transformation in this endorheic basin, affecting both the temporal and spatial variation of water chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]