Effect of a seasonal diffuse pollution migration on natural organic matter behavior in a stratified dam reservoir

This article aims to describe the influence of diffuse pollution on the temporal and spatial characteristics of natural organic matter (NOM) in a stratified dam reservoir, the Daecheong Dam, on the basis of intensive observation results and the dynamic water quality simulation using CE-QUAL-W2. Turbidity is regarded as a comprehensive representation of allochothonous organic matter from diffuse sources in storm season because the turbidity concentration showed reasonable significance in a statistical correlation with the UV absorbance at 254 nm and total phosphorus. CE-QUAL-W2 simulation results showed good consistency with the observed data in terms of dissolved organic matter (DOM) including refractory dissolved organic carbon (RDOC) and labile DOC and also well explained the internal movement of constituents and stratification phenomenon in the reservoir. Instead turbidity and NOM were related well in the upper region of the reservoir according to flow distance, gradually as changing to dissolved form of organic matter, RDOM affected organic matter concentration of reservoir water quality compared to turbidity. To control the increase of soluble organic matters in the dam reservoir, appropriate dam water discharge gate operation provided effective measurement. Because of the gate operation let avoid the accumulation of organic matter within a dam reservoir by shorten of turbid regime retention time.