THE APPLICATION OF SOME METHODS FOR COMPUTATION THE FLOWS FOR PROTECTION OF AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS DOWNSTREAM OF RESERVOIR

Abstract

The modification of the natural flow regimes by different water intakes degrades river ecosystems by erosion, by altering physical habitat and sediment supply rate. Providing a "flow for aquatic ecosystem" implies a flow regime designed to maintain a river in some environmentally acceptable conditions. All components of the natural hydrological regime have ecological significance. However, maintaining the full spectrum of naturally flows which occurring in a river is normally impossible due to water resources development and changes in land use in the catchments. Therefore, the flow protection of aquatic ecosystems should be seen as a compromise between developments within the river basin on the one hand and the maintenance of river ecology on the other. In Romania, providing the flow for the protection of aquatic ecosystems is a very important issue in the complex process of ecological restoration. According to the "Programme of Measures" chapter, presented within the River Basin Management Plans, "for increase of aquatic biodiversity besides the re-naturation of landscape, restoring the natural processes namely an adequate hydrologic regime for the water uses and aquatic species and a functional link between river and floodplain through changes to the water management systems operation is required". The paper shows the results for the application of some methods for computing the flows for protection of aquatic ecosystems downstream of a reservoir.

Keywords

• flow for protection of aquatic ecosystems
• protection and conservation of aquatic ecosystems
• ecological restoration