Long-term Seasonal and Interannual Variability of Epilimnetic Nutrients (N, P), Chlorophyll-a, and Suspended Solids at the Dam Site of Yongdam Reservoir and Empirical Models

The objectives of the study were to evaluate seasonal patterns of epilimnetic water quality, and determine interannual eutrophication patterns at the dam site of Yong-dam Reservoir using long-term data during 2002~2009. Ionic dilutions, based on specific conductivity, occurred in the summer period in response to the intense monsoon rain and inflow, and suspended solid analysis indicated that the reservoir was clear except for the monsoon. Seasonality of nitrogen contents varied depending on the types of nitrogen and responded to ionic dilution; Ammonia-nitrogen ($NH_4$-N) peaked at dry season but nitrate-nitrogen ($NO_3$-N) peaked in the monsoon when the ionic dilution occurred. The maxima of $NO_3$-N seemed to be related with external summer N-loading from the watershed and active nitrogen fixation of bluregreens in the summer. $NO_3$-N was major determinant (>50%) of the total nitrogen pool and relative proportion of $NH_4$-N was minor. Long-term annual $NO_3$-N and TDN showed continuous increasing trends from 2004 to 2009, whereas TP and TDP showed decreasing trends along with chlorophyll-a (CHL) values. Empirical model analysis of log-transformed nutrients and N : P ratios on the CHL showed that the reservoir CHL had a stronger linear function with TP ($R^2$=0.89, p<0.001) than TN ($R^2$=0.35, p=0.120). Overall results suggest that eutrophication progress, based on TP and CHL, is slow down over the study period and this was mainly due to reduced phosphorns, which is considered as primary nutrient by the empirical model.