PONDS OF VOLGOGRAD OBLAST AND THEIR CONDITION

Abstract

The article contains an inventory of ponds, pits for collecting water, and mini-water storages located in Volgograd Oblast. In Volgograd Oblast, there are about 5,000 artificial reservoirs for various purposes. Despite such a number of water bodies, the study area belongs to territories with an insufficient amount of water resources, which is due to the natural zone of dry steppes and semi-deserts and a sharply continental climate. Most of the ponds and pits for collecting water are not monitored, and there are almost no scientific and methodological works devoted to this topic. In order to clarify the current state of artificial water bodies in the region, field trips were carried out for their visual inspection and monitoring, as well as morphometric, physical and statistical data provided by the administrations of districts and settlements were studied. In climatic conditions, these water bodies play an important role: irrigation of agricultural land, watering of adjacent territories, fish and waterfowl farming, storage of water for various household needs, shipping, fire-fighting and anti-erosion purposes, etc. Many hydraulic structures located on artificial reservoirs are in a state of crisis: dams on some of them are destroyed or are inoperative, and there is no water in them. The condition of some ponds in the region is assessed as pre-crisis and crisis. On many of them, there are signs prohibiting some forms of mobile and stationary recreation: fishing, beach recreation, water tourism, etc.

Keywords

• ponds
• pits for collecting water
• artificial reservoirs
• water resources of volgograd oblast