• 한국물환경학회지
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• 제37권6호
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• pp.425-432
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• 2021

A tidal power plant (TPP) has been in operation since the end of 2011 to improve the water quality of Shihwa Coastal Reservoir (SCR). Tidal mixing rate increased 5.6 times after the TPP operation so that in this study, its effects on water quality was assessed through statistical analysis of long-term water quality monitoring data. It was found that the increased tidal mixing contributed to solving the hypoxia problem in the bottom water by preventing the summer stratification. The analysis also showed that the increased tidal mixing had different effects depending on the relative concentration difference for each water quality substances between the SCR and the outside of SCR. The average concentrations of some substances (chemical oxygen demand, total phosphorus, chlorophyll-a) with higher concentrations than the outside of SCR decreased due to the dilution effect, but the other substances (total nitrogen, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, dissolved inorganic phosphorus) with lower concentrations compared to the outside ones increased on the contrary. Factor analysis also showed a consistent result that the first factor accounting for the water quality was changed from the organic-related substances to the nutrient-related substances after the increased tidal mixing. These results imply that the focus of future water quality management needs shifting from the organic substances to the nutrients, particularly dissolved inorganic nutrients. Considering the effect of inflow seawater on the nutrients, the management area should be extended to cover not only SCR but also a certain area outside of SCR.