BACKGROUND: For effective subwatershed management, it is very important to select the tributaries for improving water quality and understand the characteristics of tributaries. Until now, however, the case study of main streams has been managed. 17 tributaries in Geum river subwatershed were monitored to regulate the source of water contaminations and identify their current situations in this study. METHODS AND RESULTS: As pollution indicators, such as biological oxygen demand($BOD_5$), chemical oxygen demand($COD_{Mn}$), suspended solid(SS), total nitrogen (T-N), total phosphate(T-P) and total organic carbon(TOC) in Geum river were examined from January to December in 2011. The results were as follows : The annual average concentration of nutrients in Yongdam reservoir upsteam was 0.7 mg/L for BOD, 3.0 mg/L for COD, 8.4 mg/L for SS, 2.905 mg/L for T-N, 0.035 mg/L for T-P and 1.6 mg/L for TOC. Water quality of Daechung reservoir upstream was mostly similar tendency in comparison to Yongdam reservoir upstream. Among the 22 tributaries, water quality in Daechung reservoir downstream was more polluted. T-N contents were significantly high in Miho B4 located Daechung reservoir downstream(annual average concentration: 13.53 mg/L). In cases of Miho A1, A2 and C1, pollution degree was worsened during rainy season expecially. CONCLUSION(S): For improving water quality of Geum river subwatershed, the tributaries in the Mihocheon area should be preferentially considered. Mihocheon tributary is the highest in pollution site, and thus a study on long-term effects should be research.