Water and sediment qualities were investigated in the Oncheon Stream and at the Wondong bridge of the Suyoung River, during the summer rainy season, 2019. Dissolved oxygen (DO) showed the lowest levels at 4.7 and 5.0 m/L, and biogeochemical oxygen demand (BOD) showed the highest at 5.3 mg/L downstream where the tributary flows into the main river. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) increased from 2.0 to 5.9 mg/L on average as it flowed downstream, The COD/BOD ratio decreased gradually as it flowed downstream, reaching 1.0. However, COD/BOD ratio at the Wondong bridge was 5.8-22.2, indicating that easily biodegradable and non-biodegradable organic matter flows into the Oncheon Stream and Suyoung River, respectively. Total nitrogen (T-N) / total phosphorus (T-P) ratio tended to decrease from 72 to 21 as it flowed downstream, measuring 71 to 86 at the Wondong bridge. The water quality index (WQI) generally improved better than grade IV after heavy rainfalls. However, DO and T-P were the parameters that deteriorated the WQI. Ignition loss (IL), COD, T-N, and T-P of sediments had distribution of 1.44 ± 1.01%, 0.35 ± 0.16%, 43 ± 63 mg/kg, and 10.9 ± 21.9 mg/kg, respectively. These were several times lower than the annual averages of IL, T-N, and T-P in 2017 before the dredging project was conducted in the first half of 2018.

The eco-hydrologic effects of maintenance water supply on Oncheon stream are studied using hydrologic, hydraulic and ecologic models. SWMM (Storm Water Management Model) is used for long-term simulation of runoff quantity and water quality from Oncheon stream watershed. Using the output hydrologic variables from SWMM, HEC-RAS (River Analysis System) is then used to simulate the hydraulics of water flow through Oncheon stream channels. Such hydrologic, hydraulic and water quality output variables from SWMM and HEC-RAS are served as input data to execute PHABSIM (Physical Habitat Simulation) for the purpose of predicting the micro-habitat conditions in rivers as a function of stream flow and the relative suitability of those conditions to aquatic life. It is observed from the PHABSIM results that the weighted usable area for target fishes has the maximum value at 2 ㎥/s of instream flow. However, mid and down stream areas that have concrete river bed and covered region are unsuitable for fish habitat regardless of instream flow increment. The simulation results indicate that the simple maintenance water supply is limited in its effect to improve the ecological environment in Oncheon stream. Therefore, it is imperative to improve water quality and to recover habitat conditions simultaneously.