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2026 Vol.31, Issue 4

Review Paper

Performance Assessment and Legal–Institutional Issues of Groundwater Dams: A Stream–Aquifer System Perspective

하천-대수층 시스템 관점에서 본 지하수저류댐의 효용성 평가와 법 ∙ 제도적 쟁점

Min-Ho Koo1*
구 민호1*
1Department of Geoenvironmental Sciences, Kongju National University, Gongju 32588, Republic of Korea
1공주대학교 지질환경과학과
*Corresponding Author
31 August 2026. pp. 1-13
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Abstract

In Korea, groundwater dam projects led primarily by K-water have recently entered the construction phase in several water-scarce regions. This review discusses two major issues related to groundwater dams: performance assessment methods and legal issues concerning groundwater use near streams. First, it examines the limitations of conventional storage-based methods for estimating exploitable water resources and discusses the need for numerical modeling to assess the performance of groundwater dams. Second, it compares Korean legal frameworks for groundwater development near streams with Arizona water law, particularly the subflow doctrine, and discusses the legal issues associated with groundwater dams from a hydrogeologic perspective. The main conclusion of this review is that the performance of groundwater dams should be assessed through analysis of the stream–aquifer system. Ultimately, groundwater dams should be planned and evaluated within an integrated water-resources management framework that treats surface water and groundwater as a single resource.

Keywords
Groundwater dam
Integrated surface-water–groundwater modeling
Stream–aquifer system
Streamflow depletion
Underflow
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Information
  • Publisher :The Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment
  • Publisher(Ko) :한국지하수토양환경학회
  • Journal Title :Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
  • Journal Title(Ko) :지하수토양환경
  • Volume : 31
  • No :4
  • Pages :1-13
  • Received Date : 2026-06-19
  • Revised Date : 2026-08-07
  • Accepted Date : 2026-08-26
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.7857/JSGE.2026.31.4.001
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