Abstract
Hydraulic structures have a significant impact on riverine environment, leading to changes in stream–aquifer interactions. In South Korea, 16 weirs were constructed in four major rivers, in 2012, to secure sufficient water resources, and some weirs operated periodically for natural ecosystem recovery from 2017. The changed groundwater flow system due to weir operation affected the groundwater level and quality, which also affected groundwater use. In this study, we analyzed the changes in the groundwater flow system near the Geum River during the Baekje weir operation using Visual MODFLOW Classic. Groundwater data from 34 observational wells were evaluated to analyze the impact of weir operation on stream–aquifer interactions. Accordingly, the groundwater discharge rates increased from 0.23 to 0.45 cm/day following the decrease in river levels owing to weir opening, while the hydrological condition changed from gaining to losing streams following weir closure. The variation in groundwater flow affected the groundwater quality during weir operation, changing the groundwater temperature and electrical conductivity (EC). Our results suggest that stream–aquifer interactions are significantly affected by weir operation, consequently, these repeated phenomena could influence the groundwater quality and groundwater use.
Highlights
Hydraulic structures such as weirs and dams are constructed in many rivers to control the river flow, affecting the groundwater level near the river
A decline in the river level owing to weir operation changes the hydraulic head gradients, A decline in the river level owing to weir operation changes the hydraulic head gradients, which which affects the water flux rates between the aquifer and river [35]
The change in stream–aquifer interactions following the change in river level due to weir operation was investigated using interactions following the change in river level due to weir operation was investigated using groundwater and river monitoring data
Summary
Hydraulic structures such as weirs and dams are constructed in many rivers to control the river flow, affecting the groundwater level near the river. Groundwater levels rose in most areas near the rivers because river levels increased due to the management level of the weirs [1]. Weir construction helped to meet water demands and increased flood protection [2,3,4]. Weir operation causes river level fluctuations, facilitating the movement of water and solutes between the river and aquifer [7]. As the river level increases, groundwater levels increase in areas near rivers. The river level can be further decreased after a weir is opened due
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