A correlation analysis was performed to investigate differences in the response of surface water and groundwater to drought using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI). Water level data of 20 agricultural reservoirs, 4 dams, 2 rivers, and 8 groundwater observation wells were used for the analysis. SPI was calculated using precipitation data measured at a nearby meteorological station. The water storage of reservoirs and dams decreased significantly as they responded sensitively to the drought from 2014 to 2016, showing high correlation with SPI of the relatively long accumulation period (AP). The responses of rivers varied greatly depending on the presence of an upstream dam. The water level in rivers connected to an upstream dam was predominantly influenced by the dam discharge, resulting in very weak correlation with SPI. On the contrary, the rivers without dam exhibited a sharp water level rise in response to precipitation, showing higher correlation with SPI of a short-term AP. Unlike dams and reservoirs, the responses of groundwater levels to precipitation were very short-lived, and they did not show high correlation with SPI during the long-term drought. In drought years, the rise of groundwater level in the rainy season was small, and the lowered water level in the dry season did not proceed any further and was maintained at almost the same as that of other normal years. Conclusively, it is confirmed that groundwater is likely to persist longer than surface water even in the long-term drought years.

Keywords: Drought, Groundwater, Surface water, Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Accumulation period