Deciphering the key factors determining spatio-temporal heterogeneity of cyanobacterial bloom dynamics in the Nakdong River with consecutive large weirs

Highlights: • After the construction of eight weirs along the river, the duration of harmful cyanobacterial blooms gradually lengthened. • The occurrence and duration of the Microcystis and Aphanizomenon blooms were affected by the timing and volume of rainfall. • Chmical water quality showed heterogeneous spatial distribution, caused by the inflow of polluted Geumho River water. • The nutrient concentrations had a substantial impact on the heterogeneous spatial dynamics of harmful cyanobacterial blooms. Following the construction of eight large weirs in a 200-km section of the Nakdong River, which is a major water source for the region, harmful cyanobacterial blooms have been occurring annually, causing severe problems with water quality. The present study investigated the community structure of harmful cyanobacteria and identified temporal and spatial patterns in harmful cyanobacterial blooms and their dynamic relationships with physicochemical, hydrological, and meteorological variables in the eight weir sections for 6 years from 2013 to 2018. The dominant harmful cyanobacteria in the eight weir sections were Aphanizomenon and Microcystis spp. There was a successional phenomenon wherein Aphanizomenon spp. first bloomed in spring, and then Microcystis spp. bloomed as water temperatures increased. Additionally, the initiation and duration of the blooms of both genera were affected by the timing and volume of heavy rainfall that caused flushing of cyanobacterial biomass, resulting in direct reduction of cyanobacterial growth in all sections. The harmful cyanobacteria of upstream weirs did not affect the biomass of downstream weirs in terms of either growth initiation or time taken to reach peak biomass, despite being physically connected. Owing to the long retention time during the dry season, similar to what occurs in separate reservoirs, the water quality of each weir section, particularly regarding nutrient characteristics and retention time, were the major factors determining the harmful cyanobacterial abundance, resulting in heterogeneous spatial distribution of harmful cyanobacterial blooms in the Nakdong River.