Analysis of Changes in Land Use and Pollution Load for the Unit Watersheds of Total Maximum Daily Loads

The land use of the unit watersheds should be maintained appropriately in order to keep the load allotment stable for the management of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs). This study classified the land area in four types and analyzed the use of each land type and its changing pattern by calculating the occupation and conversion ratios for the unit watersheds in three river basins. The forest land showed the greatest occupation ratio with 63.0%, followed by the farm land with 23%, the other area with 8.0% and the site area with 6.0% in 2003. The occupation ratio of the site and the other area increased by 0.4% and 0.2% respectively, and that of the farm and the forest land decreased by 0.4% and 0.2% respectively in 2007. The conversion ratio for the site area ranged from 1.65% to 1.97%, for the farm land from -0.47% to -0.33%, for the forest land from -0.10% to -0.04% and for the other area from 0.17% to 1.97%. It can be inferred that the decrease in the farm and the forest land contributed to the increase in the site area and that the increase in the other area was mainly made by the decrease in the forest land. It could be more effective to take into account the changes in the site area and in the forest land in the process of developing the TMDL plans.