Contribution of Non-Point Pollution to Water Quality and Runoff Characteristics from Agricultural Area of the Upstream Watersheds of Lake Chinyang

Abstract

In this study, non-point source(NPS) contribution was investigated based on flow rates and water qualities of streams into the lake during rainfall events. Event mean concentration(EMC) and the pollution loads were calculated to establish a database for NPS control measurement in the survey area, and so on. The runoff characteristics of NPS were investigated and estimated on the basis of the ratio of an agricultural to forest area in the stream of sub-catch basin during rainfall events. Non-point source pollution loads were also calculated to establish a database for NPS control measure in the upstream lake Chinyang. At a rainfall event, BOD concentrations rise sharply at the early peak time of runoff, however, peaks of TSS concentration were observed at the similar time of peak flow. This was a phenomenon shown at the watersheds caused by forest and geological types. The discharged EMC range was 2.9-4.8 mg/L in terms of BOD. The discharged EMC range was 6.2-8.2 mg/L in terms of SS. The discharged EMCs of T-N and T-P were 1.4-2.5 mg/L and 0.059-0.233 mg/L, respectively. Total BOD loading rate through the 3 tributaries to the lake Chinyang was 1,136 kg/d during dry weather. The upper watershed area of the Nam-river dam in this study was divided into 14 catchment basins based on the Korean guideline for total maximum daily load(TMDL) of water quality pollutants. The higher the agricultural land-use ratio, the more NPS loading rate discharged, but the more occupied a forest area, the lower more NPS loading rate discharged. In an agricultural land-use area more than 20%, the increase of NPS loadings might be dramatically diffused by increasing the integrated complex-use like vinyl-house facilities and fertilizer use etc. according to the effective land-use utilization. The NPS loading rates were BOD 0.3 kg/ha․day, SS 0.21 kg/ha․day, TN 0.02 kg/ha․day, TP 0.005 kg/ha․day under less than 10% agricultural land-use. In agricultural land-use of 20%-50%, these values were investigated in the range of 0.32 kg/ha․day-0.73 kg/ha․day for BOD, 0.92 kg/ha․day-3.32 kg/ha․day for SS, 0.70 kg/ha․day-0.90 kg/ha․day TN, 0.03 kg/ha․day-0.044 kg/ha․day for TP.