Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription or Fee Access

A Study on Change in Flow Regime and Discharge Impacts on Water Quality of Hydropower Operation

Ramesh Prasad Bhatt, Sanjya Nath Khanal

Abstract



The main environmental effect on the river system for hydropower operations is the alteration of flow regime which affects the water quality and cause impact on aquatic ecosystem. Quantitative assessments of the critical components of the flow regime were obtained from hydrological survey and comparison of data’s from both historical (pre-impact) and recent (post-impact) times. Altogether, 75 parameter of water quality obtained from the laboratory analysis were used as variables inputs for Principal Components Analysis (PCA). The monthly and annual discharge rate of the river was found higher in previous periods. The test result show marked increase in temperature, pH, mean conductivity, turbidity at downstream, suspend solids and substantial increment in the physical and chemical qualities of river water in compression to upstream water quality of the river. The low DO content below dam site, decreasing total nitrogen in the downstream and high level of coliform 1.98x103 cells/100ml at confluence below wire site which is probably due to the discharge of domestic sewage from upstream settlements into the river and open defecation along the river banks. Change in flow regime found effects on macroinvertebrates (e.g. aquatic insects and micro-crustaceans), reduction in fish diversity, and its abundance.

Keywords


Hydropower operation, flow regime, downstream effects, water quality impact, fish diversity

Full Text:

PDF


Disclaimer/Regarding indexing issue:

We have provided the online access of all issues and papers to the indexing agencies (as given on journal web site). It’s depend on indexing agencies when, how and what manner they can index or not. Hence, we like to inform that on the basis of earlier indexing, we can’t predict the today or future indexing policy of third party (i.e. indexing agencies) as they have right to discontinue any journal at any time without prior information to the journal. So, please neither sends any question nor expects any answer from us on the behalf of third party i.e. indexing agencies.Hence, we will not issue any certificate or letter for indexing issue. Our role is just to provide the online access to them. So we do properly this and one can visit indexing agencies website to get the authentic information. Also: DOI is paid service which provided by a third party. We never mentioned that we go for this for our any journal. However, journal have no objection if author go directly for this paid DOI service.