Table 1 Water physicochemical variables of Jinshui River and Qi River

High flow season

Jinshui River

Downstream

28.72 ± 0.51^a

0.94 ± 0.30

0.78 ± 0.19

7.67 ± 1.06^b

9.10 ± 4.49

Midstream

25.23 ± 4.71^a

1.03 ± 0.23

0.71 ± 0.11

8.63 ± 0.59^a

10.45 ± 2.21

Upstream

16.04 ± 0.53^b

1.15 ± 0.07

0.56 ± 0.03

10.61 ± 2.17^a

11.32 ± 1.57

Qi River

Downstream

32.07 ± 0.97^a

1.44 ± 0.33

0.67 ± 0.19

7.12 ± 1.58

8.69 ± 2.55

Midstream

29.78 ± 1.05^ab

1.09 ± 0.12

0.49 ± 0.05

7.45 ± 0.60

8.57 ± 1.18

Upstream

23.92 ± 5.58^b

1.68 ± 0.52

0.67 ± 0.42

8.84 ± 0.76

7.66 ± 1.57

Normal flow season

Jinshui River

Downstream

8.73 ± 0.32^a

1.23 ± 1.12

0.04 ± 0.00

7.49 ± 2.28^a

10.08 ± 7.30

Midstream

7.58 ± 0.78^b

0.60 ± 0.11

0.04 ± 0.01

5.02 ± 0.20^ab

12.83 ± 1.91

Upstream

4.77 ± 0.42^c

0.91 ± 0.08

0.04 ± 0.00

4.60 ± 0.48^b

11.88 ± 0.54

Qi River

Downstream

12.13 ± 1.37^a

0.86 ± 0.38

0.04 ± 0.01

14.04 ± 4.34^a

8.55 ± 16.95

Midstream

10.73 ± 0.50^ab

1.28 ± 0.32

0.04 ± 0.01

9.84 ± 1.39^ab

6.86 ± 2.77

Upstream

8.47 ± 1.99^b

1.29 ± 0.72

0.04 ± 0.01

6.57 ± 0.55^b

5.69 ± 2.38

Low flow season

Jinshui River

Downstream

10.43 ± 0.64^a

0.50 ± 0.01^c

0.38 ± 0.02

12.35 ± 0.54^a

24.63 ± 0.84^a

Midstream

7.66 ± 1.23^b

0.59 ± 0.02^b

0.32 ± 0.03

8.08 ± 0.62^b

21.47 ± 1.61^b

Upstream

4.34 ± 0.08^c

0.91 ± 0.04^a

0.47 ± 0.14

6.44 ± 0.07^c

17.52 ± 0.29^c

Qi River

Downstream

9.87 ± 0.38

0.56 ± 0.26^b

0.39 ± 0.09

26.28 ± 4.15^a

13.76 ± 46.82

Midstream

9.79 ± 2.18

1.13 ± 0.18^a

0.39 ± 0.02

20.81 ± 2.41^ab

10.92 ± 1.51

Upstream

8.87 ± 1.88

0.84 ± 0.23^a

0.42 ± 0.01

15.77 ± 1.17^b

8.94 ± 5.35