Assessment of Flow Regulation Effects by Dams in the Han River, Korea, on the Downstream Flow Regimes Using SWAT
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 138, Issue 1
Abstract
This study suggests a method for precise assessment of the effects of flow regulation by dams on downstream flow regimes, using a daily runoff simulation model. The soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) was used to evaluate the effects of flow regulation by upstream Soyanggang and Chungju multipurpose dams on downstream flow regimes at the inlet of Paldang Dam, a major water source of the Seoul metropolitan area in the Han River basin of Korea. The model was calibrated by using observed regulated inflows to Paldang Dam. The flow duration curves for the inflows and outflows of the Soyanggang and Chungju dams were used to evaluate the effects of storage of the two dams. In the simulation, Soyanggang Dam stored of water during a 46-day high-flow period, with this volume then released during the 319 days of the low-flow period. Similarly, Chungju Dam was evaluated as storing of water during a 19-day period, with this stored water then released during a 346-day period. To evaluate the effects of regulation by the two dams on downstream flow regimes, regulated and unregulated flow duration curves were constructed and analyzed. At the inlet of Paldang Dam, the regulated volume (i.e, the surplus water attributable to the regulation of the dam) by Soyanggang Dam, Chungju Dam, and both dams was 0.91, 1.25, and , respectively, with regulation durations of 302, 337, and 311 days, respectively. This method accurately reconstructed the flow duration curves and then successfully evaluated the effects of regulation by the dams on downstream flow regimes. The method is the first to accurately reconstruct the natural flow regime, and the results of this study will likely be useful in evaluating the effects of flow regulation, as well as in water resources planning and management.
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Acknowledgments
The study was funded by the project on the development of sustainable water resources under the 21st Century Frontier Research and Development Program (UNSPECIFIEDCode 2-2-3). The first author, who has successfully completed cancer treatment, would like to express thanks to Dr. Kwan Ho Cho of the National Cancer Center of Korea for his devoted medical care.
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Published In
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 138 • Issue 1 • January 2012
Pages: 24 - 35
Copyright
© 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 2, 2010
Accepted: Feb 18, 2011
Published online: Feb 21, 2011
Published in print: Jan 1, 2012
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