Abstract
Objectives: A lake is a place used by many people, and compared to rivers it is easy for them to become polluted. The water quality in lakes and reservoirs has been worsening recently. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the water pollution characteristics of major lakes in northern Gyeonggi-do Province. Methods: Six lakes were selected as major lakes and were evaluated in terms of water pollution characteristics and eutrophication (as defined by results for $COD_{Mn}$, TOC, SS, Chl-a, T-N and T-P) over one year (from December 2016 through November 2017) in northern Gyeonggi-do Province. Results: The annual average $COD_{Mn}$ was found to be 3.1 mg/L in Onam, 3.6 mg/L in Sanjeong, 4.7 mg/L in Gisan, 4.8 mg/L in Ilsan, and 6.1 mg/L in Jangja. The results of the Korean trophic state index ($TSI_{KO}$ ) value indicated a eutrophic state ($TSI_{KO}$ 59.0) in Jangja lake. The other lakes were classified as being in a mesotrophic state ($TSI_{KO}$ of 38.1 in Sanjeong, 40.2 in Ilsan, 41.9 in Onam, 46.1 in Gisan, and 47.8 in Gomo). Conclusions: Ilsan Lake's water quality is being well maintained. Sanjeong, Onam, and Gisan are appropriate for use as agricultural water. Jangja lake requires efforts for water quality improvement and to prevent the inflow of non-point pollutant sources.