Assessment of the Influence of the Hydrological Regime of the Volga River on the Dynamics of Flooding on Sarpinsky Island

Abstract

The seasonal dynamics of flooding on Sarpinsky Island, which is included in the city of Volgograd, following the damming by the Volga HPP has been considered. The following research problems have been set: firstly, to establish seasonal patterns of flooding in the island territory; secondly, to find out if there is a flooding threat to social infrastructure facilities. The flooded area of the island has been assessed by Landsat multispectral images with a spatial resolution of 30 m. Only images with the survey date corresponding to the peak of high waters (with the difference of not more than 7–10 days) have been analyzed. The flooding areas of the island have been calculated for the date when flooding peaked (April–May) during the period from 1985 to 2016. The phases of spring flooding determined by the island landscape and the water discharge from the Volga HPP have been revealed. The curve of the area of flooding reaches maximum values after the water discharge is up to 11–12 km3, which depends on the initial filling of floodplain reservoirs (landscape depressions) in depth without any increase in the area of flooding. The average shift between the peaks of water discharge and the area of flooding is 10–15 days and reflects gradual filling of floodplain reservoirs on Sarpinsky Island after the beginning of water discharge from the Volga HPP. It has been found that there is no threat to infrastructure facilities on Sarpinsky Island under the current volumes of water discharge during the flooding period. The obtained results are important for urban planning on the island, as well as for management of the regimes of water passage through the dam of the Volga HPP.

Keywords

• Sarpinsky Island
• Volga-Akhtuba floodplain
• Volga HPP
• hydrological regime
• high water
• area of flooding
• seasonal dynamics
• Landsat