The Jianghan Basin is the largest basin after the Yangtze River flows through the Three Gorges. In order to find out the provenance change of the sediments, the authors studied the trace elements in the samples collected from ZL borehole by using the ICP-MS. The dispersion extent of the trace element compositions of these samples has become less with the decrease of the depth since Pliocene, and tended to be close to the mean value of the upper crust. This suggests that the drainage area has become larger. Values of ∑REE, Y, Th, U and ratios of Th/Sc, Co/Th, La/Sc, Cr/Cu become smaller, suggesting that modern Yangtze River was probably formed after 1.25 Ma B.P..