Temporal and Spatial Variation Characteristics of Water Quality in the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Lijiang River, China and Their Responses to Environmental Factors

As the climate and the external environment have changed, the environmental factors of the Lijiang River Basin (LRB) have changed, posing new threats to the environmental quality, ecosystem balance, and management and protection of the water environment of the Lijiang River. Water quality indicators and environmental factors vary spatially along the Lijiang River, which runs through urban areas, farmland, and karst areas. However, research on the response of water quality to water environmental factors is still lacking. Within this context, this study considered statistical methods and hydrological, meteorological, and water quality data of the middle and lower reaches of the Lijiang River from 2012 to 2018, expounded on the temporal and spatial change characteristics and evolution trends of water quality indicators; we analyzed the correlation between water quality indicators and environmental factors; we quantitatively assessed the sensitivity and contribution rate of water quality indicators to environmental factors. The results demonstrated that rainfall feedback on the river streamflow was lagging, and upstream precipitation often affected downstream streamflow. The water quality in the upper reaches of Guilin has improved year by year, and pollution levels have increased slightly when flowing through the urban area of Guilin. In spite of this, it still falls within the range of self-purification. River characteristics heavily influence the impact of environmental factors on water quality indicators; in contrast, the effects of different locations along the same river are more similar. Four water quality indicators are negatively correlated with water temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen (DO). The sensitivities of ammonia nitrogen (NH(4)-N) and chemical oxygen demand (COD(Mn)) to streamflow increase with the flow direction. The contribution rates of DO-to-total phosphorus (TP) and pH-to-TP are over −6%. Water temperature is the major contributing factor in the Lijiang River, while DO has a higher contribution in tributaries. The external sources affect the concentration of various water quality indicators and the sensitivity of water quality indicators to the external environment. There should be a series of measures implemented to reduce pollution, such as using oxygenation or chemical means to increase pH in Dahe and Yangshuo to control water pollutants. Tourism and particular karst topography make LRB’s calculations unique, but the research method can be applied to other watersheds as well.