Empirical Relations of Nutrients, N : P Ratios, and Chlorophyll in the Drinking Water Supplying Dam and Agricultural Reservoirs

This study were to evaluate trophic conditions, N : P ratios, and empirical relations of chlorophyll (CHL) systematically using TN, TP, and CHL values in agricultural reservoirs and drinking water supplying dams. During the study, nutrients and CHL varied depending on seasonal conditions and types of the reservoirs, but most reservoirs were diagnozed as eutrophic to hypertrophic. Mass ratios of TN : TP averaged 93.1 (range: $0.68{\sim}1342$) and about 96.6 % of the total observations (n=516) was > 17 in the N : P ratios. This result suggests that P was a potential factor limiting algal growth in the entire reservoir. Thus, TN : TP ratios were a function of phosphorus rather than nitrogen. Regression analysis of log-transformed N : P ratios against TP in DWDRs and ARs showed that ratios were linearly declined with an increase of TP ($R^2$>0.66; p<0.001). Seasonal mean CHL was minimum ($4.3{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$, range: $0.1{\sim}39.7{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$) in premonsoon, and was similar between the monsoon and postmonsoon. In contrast, one of the tremendous features was that values of CHL was greater in the ARs than DWDRs. Thus, the spatial and temporal patterns in CHL were similar to those of TP but not TN. Empirical models of CHL-TP showed that CHL variation could explain average 15.3% and 11.3% in DWDRs and ARs, respectively. Seasonal analysis of empirical models showed that CHL-TP relations were stronger in postmonsoon than those of premonsoon and monsoon.