Is water resources management at the expense of deteriorating water quality in a large river-connected lake after the construction of a lake sluice?

Abstract

River-connected lakes with floodplain characteristics have substantial effects on terrestrial hydrologic cycles and are highly sensitive to external disturbances; thus, large-scale hydraulic projects are often constructed in such lakes to mitigate problems in the water environment. However, the spatiotemporal dynamics of the water environment in river-connected lakes and the differences in the water environment before and after the hydraulic project operation have received little attention. Here, a well-established coupled hydrodynamic–water quality model was applied to estimate the effects of the Chenglingji Sluice (CS) operation on the hydrodynamic features and water quality of Dongting Lake, a typical river-connected lake in China. The model successfully reproduced the water level and water quality dynamics of Dongting Lake, with a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 0.29–1.24 m for water level and a Mean Relative Error (MRE) of 5.76–10.28% and 6.25–8.14% for total nitrogen (TN) and permanganate index (CODMn), respectively. The spatiotemporal fluctuation of lake water levels was observed over different hydrological periods. Water quality varied considerably spatially, with considerable pollution in East Dongting Lake and the Xiang River inlet. Concentrations of NH3-N (ammonia nitrogen), TN, and total phosphorus (TP) first decreased and then increased during the study period, whereas CODMn concentrations displayed the opposite trend. After the CS operation, the water level increased to 27.11 m and the water surface area increased by 19.29% in the dry period; furthermore, the water quality in the CS operation scenario had low concentrations compared to that of the baseline scenario in the dry period, with concentrations ranging from 0.03 to 0.24 mg/L for TN, 0.001 to 0.015 mg/L for TP, 0.006 to 0.09 mg/L for NH3-N, and 0.02 to 0.22 mg/L for CODM, effectively improving the water environment of Dongting Lake. However, the subsequent reaction of the lake environment to changes in hydrological conditions after the CS operation requires further attention.