This paper provides a detailed look into the historical development of the water supply system of a big industrial city and its impact on the river environment and needs of the wastewater treatment ...system. The city of Brno, Czech Republic, was chosen for this study because it has a long history in the field of water supply, and the city has changed rapidly over the last 200 years. The city’s development necessitated an adaptation of drinking water sources, most significantly the use of the Březová nad Svitavou facility, which resulted in a change of condition of the Svitava River. The notable decrease in river flow, aided by industrial development of settlements within the Svitava River catchment between 1850 and 1950, strongly contributed to the spread of river pollution. However, the construction of wastewater treatment plants during recent decades led to a restoration of river quality and, consequently, of the entire environment of the Svitava River catchment. This paper also presents a view on activities connected with the long term surface water quality monitoring and improvement with regard to water quality conditions in spring areas and the river network influenced by the water supply system.
The application of biochar is considered to be a beneficial strategy for improving soil ecosystem services. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the differences in the soil erosion of silt ...loam soil with or without the application of biochar and to compare the impact of the application of biochar on soil erosion for different agricultural practices, namely, bare soil, silage corn, and sown peas. Specifically, the physically-based EROSION 3D model was used to estimate the soil erosion of small plots of sloping agricultural land. In considering various combinations of agricultural practices and rainfalls with different durations and intensities, several scenarios were used to assess the impact of the application of biochar on soil erosion.
The results of this study demonstrate that the highest mean values of mean soil erosion in the case study area were simulated without using any biochar on bare soil. The values of the mean soil erosion were reduced with the use of biochar. The effect of the application of biochar was shown for all types of agricultural practices; above all, it reduced soil erosion that occurred above high values (over 30 t ha
). Although the application and reapplication of biochar showed promise in reducing soil erosion, further research is needed to gain a deeper understanding of its total effects.
The testing of a model performance is important and is also a challenging part of scientific work. In this paper, the results of the physically-based EROSION-3D (Jürgen Schmidt, Berlin, Germany) ...model were compared with trapped sediments in a small reservoir. The model was applied to simulate runoff-erosion processes in the Svacenický Creek catchment in the western part of the Slovak Republic. The model is sufficient to identify the areas vulnerable to erosion and deposition within the catchment. The volume of sediments was measured by a bathymetric field survey during three terrain journeys (in 2015, 2016, and 2017). The results of the model point to an underestimation of the actual processes by 30% to 80%. The initial soil moisture played an important role, and the results also revealed that rainfall events are able to erode and contribute to a significant part of sediments.
Water erosion is considered to be the most important factor behind the degradation of agricultural land, together with human activities such as tillage erosion. For this purpose, the empirical models ...(combined with GIS technologies) present valuable way how to localize and calculate the prone areas to erosion processes. This study deals with the assessment of the potential soil water erosion in two small catchments in the north-western part of the Czech Republic. The applied models are MUSLE (Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation) developed by Williams 14 and USPED (Unit Stream Power based Erosion/Deposition model) developed in 1990s 8. The aim of the study is to assess the contemporary intensity of erosion (and deposition) processes and evaluate the temporal and spatial distribution of these processes. The study is focusing on real (relatively) extreme hydrological situations measured at the Lukavec and the Leskovec gauging stations between 2016 and 2018. The intensity of erosion processes is strongly connected with the natural conditions of the study area and rainfall parameters, together with the land use and cultivated crops.
Simulating direct runoff is vital, especially with regard to flash floods. The frequency of flash flood events increases as they are concomitant phenomena of the climate change. Considering the ...difficult prediction and rapid onset, as well as often lack of input data, the Soil Conservation Service curve number procedure (SCS-CN) poses a useful approach applied globally. Nevertheless, the method was developed for small agricultural watersheds in the USA, thus demanding corresponding modifications in order to provide relevant outputs in different environments. This work focuses on optimization of the initial abstraction ratio in the Husí potok catchment, the Czech Republic. In this watershed, severe flash flood events occurred in summer 2009 and 2010. Proper estimation of surface runoff is therefore a crucial issue here. The analysis of the initial abstraction ratio values was carried out using pairs of rainfall and discharge measurements. The results outline that the original value of the initial abstraction ratio 0.2 is too high and should be decreased. The identified values were then incorporated in direct runoff simulations to validate the results.
Small reservoirs, as the preferred blue-green engineering infrastructure for use against intensive runoff processes, have risen in number in Central Europe during the past three decades. However, the ...modelling of sediment siltation is not included in reservoir planning. The unknown temporal sedimentation of a reservoir can lead to the lifespan of the construction being uncertain. The aim of this study is to present a relatively simple process for local managers to model siltation and, consequently, accurately estimate the lifetime of a small reservoir. Three empirical models (USLE, RUSLE and USPED) were applied to two small catchments in Central Europe. This paper takes advantage of real measured and modelled sedimentation during 2012 and 2017, presenting two different terrain measurement approaches. Our study emphasizes the importance of the R-factor value. The temporal development of the R-factor is dependent on climate change, and the R-factor value has been rising steadily during the last decades. The annual mean R-factor has increased 1.04-times due to changes in precipitation patterns between the periods 1961–1980 and 1997–2016. These changes can explain possible growth in the levels of incoming sediment into reservoirs. We identified the correlation (R > 0.7) between observed sedimentation, the R-factor, and precipitation, and we concluded that the supposed rise of precipitation in Central Europe due to climate change will lead to an increase in the levels of stored sediment in reservoirs. Therefore, it is recommended for reservoir managers to use USPED model and to include the estimation of modelling of siltation rate into reservoirs’ maintenance projects.
•The USPED erosion model is suitable for the assessment of reservoir siltation rate.•The infilling process in small reservoirs is relatively slow.•The current rate of climate change potentiates erosion processes.•The R-factor is rising, with significant disturbances in year-on-year comparisons.
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