The Model of Water Quality Management for the Hino River

Lake Biwa is the largest lake in Japan, and one of the most important fresh water resources. The Hino River is the fourth largest river among the rivers which flow into Lake Biwa. The eutrophication of the lake has been warned since the 1960s. In order to improve the water quality of the lake, to decrease the loads through rivers is inevitable. Therefore, it is needed to predict the effects of measures to control pollutant loads and the influence of development in the basin on the loads from rivers before developing the basin and taking measures. This paper deals mainly with the model of water quality management for the Hino River and the effects of the development in the basin on the water quality. The model was formulated considering loads from forests, rice paddy fields, households, housing land, industrial factories. Using this model, a calculation system by a microcomputer was developed and the influence of urbanization of the basin was discussed.