• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.562-575
• /
• 2023

In an effort to improve water quality, the South Korean government has implemented measures to increase seawater circulation in Saemangeum Lake. We analyzed the effect of increasing the frequency of seawater circulation based on salinity levels and bottom water exchange in the lake, using an environmental fluid dynamics code model. When the sluice gate opening and shutting frequency increased from once to twice per day, the internal water level of Saemangeum Lake increased by up to ~0.7 m. The salinity increased by 2.12 psu near the western breakwater and decreased by 1.18 psu near the freshwater inlet. We analyzed the extent of bottom water exchange using a particle tracing method and observed that the residual rate of particles shallower than 5 m in water depth decreased by 2.52% in Case 2 (opening and shutting twice per day) compared to Case 1 (opening and shutting once per day). This indicates that increasing the frequency of sluice gate opening and shutting would promote enhanced bottom water exchange. Consequently, the increased salinity and bottom water exchange associated with increased seawater circulation are expected to improve water quality in Saemangeum Lake.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.22 no.9
• /
• pp.1115-1129
• /
• 2013

The study area is located on the western coast, and the inner development construction has been ongoing since 2011. The purposes of current study are to effectively simulate and quantitatively predict a temporal and spatial distributions of water temperature and salinity due to the stages of inner development construction in saemangeum reclaimed area. The transient-state numerical modeling using EFDC model is done, and the numerical simulation results are validated reasonably by repetitive numerical model calibration procedures with respect to field measurements of water temperature and salinity. The spatial distributions of water temperature and salinity show similar trends before and after construction of the dikes. In spring season, the salinity has maximum value of 21 psu, while, in summer season, the salinity shows 7 psu in a whole modeling domain. Thus, it is clearly observed that salt water is replaced by freshwater. However, the salinity and temperature reach their initial conditions at the end of the year. The salinity after construction of the dikes is lower than that before construction of them at Mankyeong area. On the other hands, after construction of the dikes, the salinity after dredging operations is higher than that before dredging. Because drastical increasing of water volume in Saemangeum Lake leads to increasing of stagnation time at bottom layer, and salt water is easily intruded to the two estuaries. Therefore, it may be concluded that hydrodynamic characteristics on Saemangeum are dominated by either Mankyeong and Dongjin discharge or sluice gates in/out-flow amounts, and thus they must be properly considered when rigorous and reasonable predictions of water temperature and salinity according to the stages of inner development construction.

• KCID journal
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.35-41
• /
• 2010

For efficient water quality management of Saemangeum lake, it is very important to accurately analyze discharged load characteristics using investigated pollution sources data from Saemangeum watershed. Investigation of pollution sources was conducted from 2003 to 2007. In this study, pollution sources are largely classified into human population, livestock, industry, and land use. Discharged loads of BOD, T-N and T-P from classified pollution sources were calculated by Korea TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) technical guideline. The calculated results showed that the major sources of BOD and T-N were land use, human population, livestock, and industry in order. However, the major sources of T-P were livestock, land use, human population, and industry in order. Our results clearly show that pollution sources of the priority management for water quality enhancement in the Saemangeum lake has represented land use and livestock.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.587-597
• /
• 2023

We evaluated the eutrophication of Saemangeum Lake, which causes abnormal growth of algae, using the Carlson index. Eutrophication characteristics of Saemangeum Lake were analyzed. For the study, water quality surveys were conducted at 7 stations in Saemangeum Lake every month in 2021. The concentration of Chl.a was slightly higher in the Mankyeong water system in winter, and slightly higher in the Dongjin water system in spring and summer, but overall, except for some periods, the concentration was similar to or lower than the lake water quality environmental standard of class 3. COD showed water quality similar to or above the lake quality environmental standard of grade 4 in both the Mankyeong and Dongjin water systems in the summer and Autumn. TOC concentrations were within lake water quality standard 3 at all sites. Total phosphorus concentrations exceeded the lake water quality standard of Class 4 and were higher in January and August after rainfall. In the correlation analysis between water quality factors, the correlation of organic matter, total phosphorus, and total nitrogen to salinity was relatively high. This reflected the water quality characteristics of freshwater, brackish water, and seawater areas due to seawater inflow through the drainage gate and freshwater inflow through upstream rivers. According to the characteristics of eutrophication fluctuations in Saemangeum Lake by trophic state index, the indices of Chl.a, SD, and TN showed water quality in the early stage of eutrophication, while the TP index showed a severe eutrophication state. The magnitude of the eutrophication index among water quality components was TSI(TP) > TSI(TN) > TSI(SD) > TSI(CHL) in all water systems. Quadrant analysis of the deviation of TSI(CHL) from TSI(TP) and TSI(SD) on a two-dimensional plane showed that there was no limiting effect of total phosphorus on algal growth in all water systems. In addition, the factors af ecting light attenuation appeared to be dominated by small particulate matter from outside sources.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.45 no.6
• /
• pp.723-729
• /
• 2012

On 3 February 2011, a mass mortality of finless porpoises Neophocaena asiaeorientalis occurred at a dike of the Saemangeum Sea dike. A total of 249 carcasses were collected; these had been stranded by a sea dike and had floated into the lake formed by the dike. Eight bodies were measured, and four of these were dissected to analyze stomach contents. The blubber thicknesses of five bodies were compared with those of caught finless porpoises in the Yellow Sea from 2010. Finless porpoises at the Saemangeum Sea dike exhibited better nutritive conditions than finless porpoises in the Yellow Sea. Air temperature in January 2011 was lower than the prior 5-year average (P<0.05). Water temperature when the mass mortality occurred was lower than values observed in 2009 and 2010: values below $0^{\circ}C$ had been recorded, and the majority of the dike lake had frozen over. The mass mortality of finless porpoises may have been caused by these unusually low temperatures.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
• /
• v.51 no.6
• /
• pp.53-62
• /
• 2009

The EFDC (Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code), a numerical model for simulating three-dimensional (3D) flow, transport, and biogeochemical processes in surface water systems including rivers, reservoirs, and estuaries, was applied to assess the effect of sea water and fresh water exchange rates ($Q_e$) on the mixing characteristics of a conservative pollutant (tracer) induced from upstreams and salinity in Saemangeum Lake, Korea. The lake has been closed by a 33 km estuary embankment since last April of 2006, and now seawater enters the lake partially through two sluice gates (Sinsi and Garyuk), which is driving the changes of hydrodynamic and water quality properties of the lake. The EFDC was constructed and calibrated with surveyed bathymetry data and field data including water level, temperature, and salinity in 2008. The model showed good agreement with the field data and adequately replicated the spatial and temporal variations of the variables. The validated model was applied to simulated the tracer and salinity with two different gate operation scenarios: RUN-1 and RUN-2. RUN-1 is the case of real operation condition ($Q_e=25,000,000\;m^3$) of 2008, while RUN-2 assumed full open of Sinsi gate to increase $Q_e$ by $120,000,000\;m^3$. Statistical analysis of the simulation results indicate that mixing characteristics of pollutants from upstream can be significantly affected by the amount of $Q_e$.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.327-334
• /
• 2010

The paper describes the history and the evolution of the conflict of the Saemangeum reclamation project, focusing on the court trial processes. The Saemangeum project is the world largest coastal reclamation work, regarded as the most controversial environmental issue in the recent history of Korea. Due to the severe pollution found in Lake Sihwa in 1996, the Saemangeum project began to receive a large degree of public concern on the water quality of the proposed artificial freshwater lake. Unlike the Sihwa case, the Korean court system intervened to resolve the heated conflicts between stakeholders in the Saemangeum case. Based on the same set of facts, the Korean courts showed different perspectives on the economic feasibility, value of the ecosystem, land use, and water quality, which represents the limit of legal system to address complicated environmental problems. After the final judgment by the Supreme Court, 'the Special Act for the promotion of the Saemangeum reclamation project', was enacted with strong political support from local leaders and congressmen. A more developmental-oriented land use plan came out in 2009 based on this Act. The Saemangeum project walked along the different pathway from the Sihwa case. The area should be managed in sustainable manners to appropriately consider conservation and development for the prosperity of local residents and future generations.

• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.475-484
• /
• 2008

The word 'Saemangeum' indicates an estuarine tidal flat in the southwestern part of the Korean peninsula. The Saemangeum Reclamation Project was launched as a national project in 1991 to reclaim a large coastal area of $401\;km^2$ by constructing a 33-km long dyke. The final dyke enclosure in April 2006 has transformed the tidal flat into lake and land. An integrated oceanographic study has been conducted since 2002 as a part of the Government Action Plan to monitor and assess changes in the marine environment. Prior to the dyke enclosure, the coastal environment in the Saemangeum was a complex system governed by tidal motion, estuarine processes, and coastal circulation of the Yellow Sea. The dyke construction has radically changed not only the estuarine tidal system inside the dyke, but also the coastal marine environment outside the dyke. Post to the dyke enclosure, subsequent changes such as red tide, hypoxia, and coastal erosion/deposition occur successively. Red tides appear almost the year round in the inner area. Even under the condition that the sluice gates are fully open, the water quality does not improve as much as the developers would expect, mainly due to the critical reduction of the hydrodynamic stirring power. We will introduce details of our monitoring program and significant changes in the Saemangeum marine environment, based on observations and model results.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.47 no.6
• /
• pp.978-982
• /
• 2014

A mass mortality of 249 finless porpoises Neophocaena asiaeorientalis occurred in the Saemangeum Dyke in February 2011. It was an extraordinary event, notable due to the death toll and the location of the occurrence, a semi-isolated lake enclosed by a man-made structure. We conducted sighting surveys that consisted of a land-based sighting survey recorded from three different platforms, and a ship-based sighting survey in the lake. The land-based survey was dedicated to clarifying the distribution of finless porpoises and whether they passed through two water gates (Shinsi and Garyek) of the dyke from 2011 to 2013. No finless porpoises were observed in the 2011 or January 2012 surveys. In April 2012, two months and one year after the mass mortality, one finless porpoise, swimming 400 m from the Shinsi water gate, was observed by a land-based survey. The number of observed individuals increased to nine in 2012 and reached 10 by May 2013 at the time of the surveys. Most of the porpoises were detected near the Garyek water gate. The density of the animals was $0.075/km^2$ in 2012 and $0.083/km^2$ in 2013. The density of porpoises was $2.063/km^2$ at the time of the mass mortality.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
• /
• 2010.09a
• /
• pp.40-48
• /
• 2010

Saemangeum reclaimed area is needed to construct much green zone to make high-quality multi-functional land such as tide embankment, lake dike, industrial complex, environmental spaces, etc. However, growth of plants is somewhat difficult because a salinity of Saemangeum soil is very high and a soil fertility, water content of soil are low. Therefore, it is essential to initial desalination of soil and continuous management for planting base. It is recommended that a group of grassland to raise the efficiency of covering should be made in the first stage and a forest by improvement of vegetation should be made in the mid and long term stage. It is recommended that the construction of vegetation base should be made with a regular thickness of soil of good quality in multi-functional area such as a shrub and wood. In case of construction of a windbreak forest, it is necessary to make a wood base of suitable depth using soil brought from another place or filling of soil. Also, it is necessary to keep a maintenance of woods in early stage. Saemangeum reclaimed land will be brand-named worldwide tourist attractions due to construction of much green zone having high quality multi-functional facilities.