• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.235-246
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• 2021

This study investigated the impact of baseflow on fish community in the Ungcheon stream (16.5 km long) located downstream of the Boryeong Dam, Korea. Based on field monitoring, there were five dominant fish species in the Ungcheon Stream accounting for 75% of the total fish community: Zacco platypus, Zacco koreanus, Tridentiger brevispinis, Rhinogobius brunneus, and Pungtungia herzi. These five fish species were selected as target species. HydroGeoSphere (HGS) and River2D models were used for hydrologic and hydraulic simulations, respectively. A habitat suitability index model was used to simulate fish habitat. To assess the impact of baseflow, each representative discharge was examined with or without baseflow. The HGS model was used to calculate baseflow within the study reach. This baseflow was observed to increase gradually with longitudinal distance. Validation of the hydraulic model dem onstrated that computed water surface elevated when baseflow was included, which was in good agreement with measured data, as opposed to the result when baseflow was excluded. Composite suitability index distributions and weighted usable area in the study reach were presented for target species. Simulations indicated that the baseflow significantly increased habitat suitability for the entire fish community. These results demonstrate that there should be a substantial focus on the baseflow for physical habitat simulation.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2019

This study performed the impact of ecological waterway on fish community in a reach of the Dal River, Korea. Fish monitoring revealed that 9 fish species are dominant, namely Zacco platypus, Coreoleuciscus splendidus, Zacco koreanus, Pungtungia herzi, Acheilognathus yamatsutae, Rhinogobius brunneus, Tanakia signifer, Gobiobotia macrocephala, and Pseudopungtungia tenuicorpus, and account for 95% of the total fish community. The River2D model was used for the computation of the flow and the HSI model for the habitat simulation. The restoration of the waterway performed through the small dam removal, the formation of the pool-riffle structure, and the change of the bed elevation and width. Simulation results indicated that the restoration of the ecological waterway effects significantly increased by about 16% for the WUA (Weighted Usable Area) of the total fish community in optimal ecological flow conditions ($Q=7.0m^3/s$). The restoration of the ecological waterway is more advantageous to fish community.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.56 no.9
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• pp.553-562
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• 2023

The Gobiobotia naktongensis is a species endemic to Korea, and it has recently been designated as a class I endangered species of freshwater fish. Naeseong Stream, one of the tributaries of the Nakdong River, where the Gobiobotia naktongensis was first discovered, provided an optimal habitat for the Gobiobotia naktongensis in the past with fine sand beds and riffle. Currently, due to the construction of Yeongju Dam and the excessive dredging of river channels by the local government, the riverbed armoring in the downstream area of the dam is undergoing rapid changes, and as a result, the habitat environment of the Gobiobotia naktongensis is deteriorating. In this study, the variations of the habitat suitability of the Gobiobotia naktongensis due to the change in the riverbed grain size of the Naeseong Stream were analyzed based on the WUA (weight usable area) using the physical habitat model, River2D. The study domain is the reach from Seoktap Bridge to Hoeryong Bridge downstream of Yeongju Dam. The change in riverbed grain size was analyzed using D50 acquired in 2010 and 2020, respectively. The substrate grain size of Naeseong Stream in 2020 was thicker than that in 2010, and the riverbed coarsening phenomenon was evident overall. As a result of the River2D analysis, the area in which the Gobiobotia naktongensis could inhabit was only about 0.75% in 2010 compared to the entire area of the flow, and even this decreased to 0.55% in 2020 due to riverbed armoring.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.54 no.11
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• pp.985-998
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• 2021

In general, the upstream dam changes downstream flow regime dramatically, i.e., from natural flow regime to hydropeaking flows. This study investigates the impact of the natural flow pattern on downstream fish habitat in a regulated river in Korea using the physical habitat simulation. The study area is a 13.4 km long reach of the Geum-gang River, located downstream from the Yongdam Dam, Korea. A field monitoring revealed that three fish species are dominant, namely Zacco platypus, Coreoleuciscus splendidus, and Opsariichthys bidens, and they account for 70% of the total fish community. Specially, Opsariichthys bidens is an indigenous species in the Geum-gang River. The three fish species are selected as target fish species for the physical habitat simulation. The Nays2D model, a 2D shallow water equation solver, and the HSI (Habitat Suitability Index) model are used for hydraulic and habitat simulations, respectively. To assess the impact of the natural flow pattern, this study uses the annual natural flow regime and hydropeaking flows from the dam. It is found that the natural flow regime increases significantly the Composite Suitability Index (CSI) in the study reach. Then, using the Building Block Approach (BBA), the scenarios for the modifying dam operations are presented in the study reach. Both Scenario 1 and scenario 2 are proposed by using the hydrological method considering both magnitude and duration of the inflow and averaging the inflow over each month, respectively. It is revealed that the natural flow regime embodied in scenario 1 and scenario 2 increases the Weighted Usable Area (WUA) significantly, compared to the hydropeaking flows. In conclusion, the modifying the dam operations by restoring to the natural flow pattern is advantageous to fish community.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.52 no.spc2
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• pp.811-822
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• 2019

Environmental flows in the downstream sections of Yongdam Dam, Wonju Stream Dam, and Hongcheon River were estimated with selected target fish species such as Nigra for the site of Yongdam Dam, Splendidus for the site of Wonju Stream Dam, and Signifer for the site of Hongcheon River by considering endangered and domestic species. Physical habitat analysis was performed to estimate environmental flows for the study sites by applying the Physical Habitat Simulation (PHABSIM) and RIVER2D which combined hydraulic and habitat models. Based on the monitored data for ecological environment, the Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) for the target species was estimated by applying the Instream Flow and Aquatic Systems Group (IFASG). In particular, based on the result of fish monitoring, the HSI for each stage of the growth for target species was analyzed. As a result, the Weighted Usable Area (WUA) was maximized at $4.9m^3/s$ of flow discharge during spawning, $5.8m^3/s$ during the period of juvenile, and $8.9m^3/s$ during the adult fish season at the downstream section of Yongdam Dam. The result of the Wonju Stream Dam showed an optimal environmental flow of $0.4m^3/s$, $1.0m^3/s$, and $1.5m^3/s$ during the period of spawning, juvenile, and adult. The habitat analysis for the site of Hongcheon River, which is a non-regulated stream, produced an optimum environmental flow of $5m^3/s$ in the spawning period, $4m^3/s$ in the juvenile stage and $6m^3/s$ in the adult stage.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.47-55
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• 2016

In this study, WUA (Weighted Usable Area) based on the Instream Flow Incremental Methodology (IFIM) was calculated to determine ecological flow at JeonJu-Cheon by using River2D model. To calibrate River2D, simulation results for low flow conditions of River2D were compared with calibrated HEC-RAS simulation results and the optimum parameters were determined. The results were RMSE (0.18), NSE (0.71) and coefficient of determination (0.78) for velocity and RMSE (0.02), NSE (0.71), coefficient of determination (0.73) for water depth. The result shows that the model successfully simulates the water flows. A selected target fish species to build the habitat suitability index were composed of Zaccoplatypus and Coreoleuciscus splendidus. These species showed the highest occurrences over the past decade in f ish monitoring. Also, The WUA-Discharge curve was calculated with the suitability index in a medium flow conditions. From the result, WUA is changed according to flowrate. In the flowrate-WUA/A graph, ecological flow can be determined at $1.8{\sim}2.0m^3/s$ for Zaccoplatypus $2.0m^3/s$ and Coreoleuciscus splendidus $1.8m^3/s$ at JeonJu-Cheon upstream. When compared with flow-duration analysis, it is demonstrative that simulation results fitted ecological flow considering quantity of available habitat for each fish species.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.947-956
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• 2013

In this study, WUA (Weighted Usable Area) was calculated to determine ecological flow at the confluence of Nakdong River and Gumho River by using River2D. To calibrate River2D, simulation results of River2D were compared with calibrated HEC-RAS simulation results and the optimum parameters were determined. After parameter calibration, WUA of Zacco platypus and Zacco temmincki which are dominant species in Nakdong River was calculated with changing upstream flowrate. From the result, WUA is changed according to flowrate and growth stage. In the flowrate-WUA/A graph, ecological flow can be determined as $33.3m^3/s{\sim}39.96m^3/s$ in Nakdong River and $3.6m^3/s{\sim}4.32m^3/s$ in Gumho River. After dredging for Four major rivers restoration project, WUA of Zacco platypus and Zacco temmincki were calculated by using the ecological flow. The results show that WUA after dredging are decreased when compared with undredged condition. WUA of Common carp is 2~3 times bigger than WUA of Zacco platypus and Zacco temmincki at the dredged condition in Nakdong River.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.339-347
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• 2017

The objectives of this study were to analyze ecological characteristics of fish compositions and estimate the optimal ecological flow using the physical habitat simulation system (PHABSIM) in Wonju stream and Boseong river. We sampled fishes using two gears such as casting net and kicknet to determine fish distribution and also measured flow velocity, water depth, bed material at the point where fish collected. Total number of species and individuals sampled were 20 and 2,104, respectively and dominant species was Zacco platypus (39.7%) and subdominant species was Z. koreanus (RA: 15.8%) in Wonju stream. In Boseong river, collected fishes were 1,638 individuals, 28 species. Dominant and sub-dominant species was Z. platypus (RA: 22.0%) and Microphysogobio yaluensis (RA: 17.2%), respectively. For calculating habitat suitability index (HSI), we selected Z. platypus as representative fish species and analyzed water depth and flow velocity. Water depth and flow velocity were 0.2-0.6 m, 0.1-0.3 m/s, respectively in Wonju stream and 0.3-0.6 m, 0-0.3 m/s, respectively in Boseong river. According to the analysis of ecological flow simulation, optimal flow was 1.1 cms and 0.3 cms in Wonju stream and 0.4cms, 2.2cms in Boseong river at up and down stream respectively. WUA (Weighted Usable Area) was 9.5%, 26.6% in Wonju stream and 34.8%, 53.3% in Boseong river at up and down stream respectively.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.39-48
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• 2014

In order to establish fundamental data for stream restoration and environmental flow, we investigated optimal ecological flowrate (OEF) and riverine health condition in the Chogang Stream, a tributary to Geum River, Korea. The number of fish individuals sampled in this period were 4,669 in 36 species of 9 families. The most abundant species was Korean chub (Zacco koreanus, 34.0%) followed by pale chub (Z. platypus, 22.6%) and Korean shinner (Coreoleuciscus splendidus, 13.3%). Index of biological integrity (IBI) and qualitative habitat evaluation index (QHEI) values decreased from upstream to downstream along the stream. The estimated IBI value ranged from 27.9 to 38.6 with average 32.2 out of 50, rendering the site ecologically fair to good health conditions. OEF was estimated by the physical habitat simulation system (PHABSIM) using the habitat suitability indexes (HSI) of three fish species Z. koreanus, C. splendidus and Pseudopungtungia nigra selected as indicator species. In Z. koreanus, HSI for flow velocity and water depth were estimated at 0.1 to 0.4 m/s and 0.2 to 0.4 m, respectively. In P. nigra, HSI for flow velocity, water depth and substrate size were estimated at 0.2 to 0.5 m/s and 0.4 to 0.6 m and fine gravel to cobbles, respectively. OEF values increasing from up to downstream was found to increase, weighted usable area (WUA) values increased accordingly.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.137-146
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• 2015

Lateral connectivity between a main channel and a former channel plays an integral role in maintaining ecological functions of stream-floodplain ecosystems. This study virtually restored the connectivity of the former channel, which is currently isolated by channelization, in the Mangyeong River, Korea. Fish habitat improvement after the connectivity restoration was evaluated using River2D, two-dimensional depth-averaged hydraulic modeling, depending on normal and flood flow conditions. Target fish species were crucian carp (Carassius auratus), which are known as lentic species, and pale chub (Zacco platypus), known as lotic species. The weighted usable area (WUA) of the two species was increased after the connectivity restoration: the two-way connection between the main and formal channels was more effective than the one-way connection. The result of the physical habitat simulation at a flood flow condition demonstrated an increased rate of the WUA than during a normal flow condition. In particular, the WUA of pale chub increased about four times on the two-way connectivity restoration. This result suggests that habitat availability of both lentic and lotic fish species will increase after a connectivity restoration, and a two-way connectivity restoration may be more effective. In addition, the restored formal channel would function as a shelter for fish during the flood season.