Abstract: The marine environment in an estuary region varies complicatedly with severe coastal erosion, and river discharge is an unneglectable affecting factor. In order to reveal the relation between river discharge and estuarine erosion, in this article we studied the effect of river discharge on salinity change, the effect of salinity change on sediment deposition, consolidation and erosion, with emphasis on the effect of the Yellow River discharge on estuarine erosion. Related research status is reviewed. It is observed that salinity is a vehicle to connect the river discharge and sediments as far as coastal erosion is considered in an estuary area in the case of the Yellow River estuary.