• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.137-151
• /
• 2004

Many of today's environmental problems are regional in scope and their effects overlap and interact. The purpose of this paper is to developed a simple method for an integrated assessment of environmental conditions across the Mid-Nakdong River Region, by combining data on land use, impervious cover, roads, streams, riparian areas, forest patches, population, pollutant loadings, soil erosion and topography. A cluster analysis was used to identify groups of sub-watersheds with similar environmental characteristics. The mean value for each group was used to find watershed that may be more vulnerable to future environmental degradation. Watersheds in cluster I and II had high amount of forest, but the amount of riparian vegetation was low. Watersheds in cluster III, which located in the middle Geumho River and the main course of Nakdong River, had a greater proportion of their agriculture, a greater proportion of agriculture on steep slopes, and less forest adjacent to streams. Watersheds in cluster IV and V were in the most urbanized areas of the region. The principal adverse impacts for watersheds in this group were high scores for urban area, impervious cover, pollutant loadings, population density, forest fragmentation, and low amounts of forest and riparian forest cover. Notwithstanding the exploratory nature of cluster analysis, it appears to be a useful tool for grouping watersheds with similar environmental characteristics.

• Hwankyungkyoyuk
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.40-48
• /
• 2011

SimRiver, computer simulation software for assessment of river water quality is an educational simulation software created for studying the relationship between human activity and river environment using epilithic diatom communities, The SimRiver program was applied to total seventy eight teachers of elementary, middle and high schools in Korea, and the teachers' reactions were analyzed with the questionnaire survey. Total 79.2% of the teachers estimated the possibility of SimRiver to be applied as a educational material in lessons is high. Especially total 93.6% of the teachers answered that they will use SimRiver in their lessons. The results of the questionnaire survey indicate that SimRiver is an interesting and easy simulator of alternative field exercise for students to understand the relationship between human activity and quality of river water.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.441-452
• /
• 2020

The assessment of the river environment is widely applied as a method to establish the purpose and direction of river rehabilitation projects. This includes surveying and assessing the current state of the river environment and determining whether a previous river project was properly executed. The city of Seoul executed ecological river rehabilitation activities for the tributaries of the Han River from the 2000s following a masterplan to recover the physical shape and ecological functionality of damaged rivers. After the rehabilitation activities, the river environment had been changed substantially. In this study, physical properties, water quality properties, and ecological properties were assessed for 28 tributaries underthe control of the city of Seoul, and then those 3 properties were synthetically reassessed. From the result of the study on the physical properties, it was found that mostrivers had II-III grades. As for water quality properties, rivers had III-IV grades. The damaged rivers showed low grades of D-E based on the Aquatic Ecosystem Health evaluation. Accordingly, we concluded that all rivers of Seoul City have an unhealthy environment in terms of water quality and Aquatic Ecosystem Health, therefore it is regarded that long-term and systematic improvements are required.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
• /
• v.40 no.6 s.179
• /
• pp.485-494
• /
• 2007

This study was performed to evaluate the environmental qualities of the revetment construction methods and the river-facility materials using Life-Cycle-Assessment(LCA) for the nature-friendly design of close-to-nature river, The investigation results on the environmental qualities of energy and materials used to the close-to-nature river plan showed that the environmental impacts per unit weight increased in the order of gasoline > diesel > cement > wood. The environmental impacts per unit area of revetment construction method exhibited that the environmental loadings increased in the order of gabion > revetment > cribwork. In addition, it was observed that the environmental impact was reduced by improving the materials of zinc-galvanized wire. The model basin investigated in this study was the $0.3km^2$ area of river improvement works in Kyung stream, which is a tributary to the Seomjin river and the second regional stream. The research was conducted based on the 30years by life expectancy of artificial facilities. For the comparisons of revetment techniques with respect to the environmental qualities, the method resulted in the highest environmental loadings. The method using ready-mixed concrete ranked second in the environmental loadings of revetment techniques. The present results of this study are expected to play a beneficial role in the nature-friendly design of close-to-nature river by quantitatively identifying the environmental quality of total procedures (i.e., combination of techniques, selection of river-facility materials, maintenance of river-facility) applied to close-to-nature river plan.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.647-657
• /
• 2018

This study was carried out to review as criteria for zoning at management plan for river restoration, in case of naturalness of river environment and suitability of water friendly activity suggested at assessment system of river environment in Korea. As a result of reviewing law and guidelines concerned, historic & cultural resources used as criteria for preservation zone, it was judged that the historical and cultural value as the preservation zone needs to be examined in connection with waterfriendly activity zone. In this study, we propose a sequential evaluation method to distinguish the waterfriendly activity zone by applying suitability of waterfriendly activity reflecting land use social characteristics, followed division of preservation and restoration zone at the first stage by the naturalness of river environment reflecting the natural environmental characteristics as a result of application to the test bed, Gap and Yudeung streams. In particular, it was concluded that the results of the present study provided more clear criteria for the problem that the last criteria for zoning did not reflect the difference between the left and the right side of stream, or the designation of the excessive water friendly zone. On the other hand, the criteria for designation in this study reflect the characteristics of various river environments as well as the setting of assessment unit based on the physical characteristics of rivers, and other legal regulations and local situations should be adjusted and supplemented in administrative procedures.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.21 no.5
• /
• pp.745-755
• /
• 2012

The relations between tributaries and mainstream were identified with the water qualities measurements in the field. Parameters of water qualities were BOD, T-N, T-P and measurements were performed by 4 events of rainfalls for 2011. The precipitation data influenced on pollutants loads. Pollutants loads were fluctuations with the seasonal variation. Gajoacheon contributed in 18.39% of BOD, 23.79% of T-N, 15.23% of T-P and Nabulcheon contributed in 13.54% of BOD, 13.05% of T-N and 13.66% of T-P in the region from Nam River_C to Nam River_D. In case of the region from Nam River_C to Nam River_D, Yongacheon river inflowed to main stream as 23.65% of BOD, 20.74% of T-N, and 15.05% of T-P.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
• /
• v.2
• /
• pp.909-912
• /
• 2006

In this paper a method for remotely-sensed assessment of eutrophication was experimented. The water samples were collected for analysis of COD (chemical oxygen demand) and nutrients concentration, and the remote sensing reflectance data at the sampling points were synchronously measured using above-water method in two cruises, which were conducted in the Pearl River Estuary in January 2003 and January 2004 respectively. Based on the in-situ data the local algorithms for estimation of concentration of nutrients (P and N) and COD were developed by Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression. The algorithms were then applied to atmospheric-corrected SeaWiFS data and the COD and nutrients concentration in Pearl River Estuary were estimated. And then the assessment of eutrophication was carried out by comparison of the estimated nutrients and COD value with the water quality standard. The results show that the whole estuary is seriously in eutrophication.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.293-299
• /
• 2016

$^{137}Cs$ was investigated in river bottom sediments located in South-Han River basin and it was compared with international case studies to estimate the concentration level of $^{137}Cs$ in river sediment of Korea. The obtained values of $^{137}Cs$ which was analyzed by gamma-ray spectrometry were in the range of <$MDA{\sim}3.80{\pm}0.14Bq/kg{\cdot}dry$ and similar to the $^{137}Cs$ activities in soil of Korea. According to international case studies, $^{137}Cs$ activities were between 3.7 to $15,396Bq/kg{\cdot}dry$, when pollutants such as nuclear power plant accidents and radiation leaks were present near the rivers. The $^{137}Cs$ activities showed a variety of distribution depending on the country, when pollution occurs and survey time. Also, $^{137}Cs$ activities of river sediments without pollution sources were mostly less than $10Bq/kg{\cdot}dry$ in other countries. It was comparable with the obtained $^{137}Cs$ activities in this study. The obtained values provide useful information on the background concentration of $^{137}Cs$ in river sediment and will be able to use a basis for determining contamination of $^{137}Cs$ in the river.

• Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.150-158
• /
• 2018

The deteriorating role of Nakdong River due to the Four Major Rivers Project has caused a series of problems, including water pollution, drying streams, aggravation of the hydroecology. Geumho River and Gyeongseong-cheon had a higher concentration index and is believed to impact the water quality of the main stream. The influence index of Geumho River and Nam River between 2015 and 2016, which have a large amount of discharge, was the highest among the tributaries in terms of the load material balance. Showing the highest average concentration and average load in the index assessment, Geumho River is believed to require an intensive management for improving the water quality of the main stream. Furthermore, when the cumulative percentage of the average concentration and average load was compared based on the water quality improvement of the tributaries mixed to Nakdong River, which was set to 60%, Geumho River, Nam River, Topyeong-cheon, and Cha-cheon, which showed the highest ratio in that order, were determined to require a water quality management program as a priority.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.259-270
• /
• 2003

To investigate the water quality and the pollution state of lower Yeongsan river system, 38 water samples were taken from the main stream of the Yeongsan river, Gomakwon and Hampyeong streams of the system in dry and flood seasons, May and August, 2001. The Yeongsan river is typically natural in accordance with pH-& diagram. But the chemistry based on Piper's diagram indicates that the river is influenced by seawater. BOD increases as the sampling sites are approaching the downstream in Gomakwon and Hampyeong streams overwhelming WQS V grade of 12.40mg/l. T-N and T-P of the river are mainly loaded not in above branch streams but in the main stream of the river, which are caused by manure for farming, domestic animal discharges and life-sewage, in possible. Meanwhile, heavy metal contents are below WQS or not detect in whole water samples. So, it shows that the above river waters be polluted by not industrial but life/agricultural foul waters.