SEDIMENT ACCUMULATION ASSESSMENT DURING WET AND DRY SEASONS IN FISH CAGE CULTURE AREA: A CASE STUDY OF THE RANGSIT CANAL 13 IN THAILAND’S PATHUM THANI PROVINCE

Abstract

This research investigates the sedimentation rate for the assessment of sediment accumulation in the cage culture area, Rangsit canal 13 in Thailand’s central province of Pathum Thani.Water and sediment qualitwasre conducted during September 2017 (rainy season) and March 2018 (dry season). The temperatures, dissolved oxygen, and pH ranged between 30.5-31.5 OC, 5.54-7.78 mg L-1, and 7.7-8.1, respectively. The results revealed that the dissolved oxygen varied from season to season (p≤0.05). The results indicated that the water qualities varied in response to the seasonal variability and were alarmingly higher than Thailand’s minimum threshold for aquaculture. In terms of sediment qualities, variations in water content, total organic matter, and sedimentation rate ranged between 37.4-62.4%, 67.6-97.6 mg g-dry weight-1, and 438.8-3,768.8 g m-2day-1, respectively. The results revealed that water content and total organic matter had no different significance (p>0.05) while sedimentation rates varied significantly (p≤0.05) with seasons. Such levels of total organic matter and sedimentation rate were high in the area, especially in the rainy season. The finding also showed that mass transfer and water inflow in the area, especially in the rainy season, influenced the sediment output in the water system, indicating the adequate sediment input-output balance. The water mass transfer will require consideration for the assessment of sediment accumulation and water resource management in the study area.