Geography and geology / Hydrology and water resources

V.L. Bocharov, L.N. Strogonova

Voronezh State University, Voronezh, Russia

Construction, operation and environmental condition

of Russian reservoirs

According to the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) of the Russian Federation on the territory of Russia created 29.3 thousand reservoirs, including capacity from 1 to 10 million m³ - 1940 and a capacity of 10 million m³ - 363 ones[1]. Reservoir in accordance with the Water Code of the Russian Federation [2] is the water bodies and set them on state property. Large-purpose reservoirs are operated by MNR organizations of Russia, some small single-purpose reservoir destination are the responsibility of the organizations, which are listed on the balance of retaining structures, which form the reservoir.

The impact of the reservoir on the environment is diverse: it can be both direct and indirect, positive and negative, to appear immediately or many years later. In addition, of inter-and other climatic fluctuations may reduce or, conversely, increase the effects of reservoirs on climate, hydrological, geological, hydrogeological and other processes. An ambiguous effect, in turn, the environment at the reservoir, which should also be considered in the design and subsequent operation [3].

Extensive literature study has shown that the influence of physico-chemical and biological processes taking place in these objects, on the quality of surface water is not unilateral and constant in time. It is determined by the processes of various types, so you can change the flow of chemical rivers after passing it through water reservoir, including the different seasons.

Water pollution in rivers is due to the large number of industrial, transportation, utility and agricultural runoff. The level of pollution of rivers, not regulated by reservoirs, often exceeds the pollution in the reservoirs themselves. It should be fully aware that while the water bodies are used as receivers of waste pollutants, neither of which improve the quality of water is not out of the question [4].

On the question of reservoirs expediency there is no united point of view on the problem of improving the situation there. We can consider three options: a) refuse to create new reservoirs and later (eliminate) operated; b) to revise downward the booster level of existing reservoirs; c) to improve the design, preparation and operation of reservoirs, with particular attention to environmental limits.

In-depth study of the first two sentences showed their complete failure, as the descent of reservoirs, without solving any environmental and economic problems, leading to the complete destruction of the existing system of water, electricity, transport, and thus worsen environmental, social and economic situation.

Reasonable way to improve the situation in the basins of regulated rivers - the full perfection of all process units of design, preparation, reservoir operation and implementation of the developed concepts of rational use of water reservoirs [3,5,6].

The most negative trend in the creation of reservoirs is permanent and even progressive increase in training costs of the reservoir area. Moreover, a number of cost increases due to objective reasons: increasing demands for social constructed nature resettled people from the flooded area, the increase of the plots of land for private farms, the integration of environmental requirements, inflation, etc.

The investigations of recent years give reason to believe that the solution to the rational use of water reservoirs by economic, technical and legal means is not allowed and can not give any meaning results. Therefore, an important part of the concept of sustainable use of water reservoirs and water resources as a whole should be a comprehension of all the constituent elements of the culture in the first place, such as ethics and morality.

Noted above fully applies to the reservoirs of the Central Black Earth, the largest of which is the Voronezh Reservoir, created in 1972. It refers to the multi-purpose reservoirs and to some extent are unique city reservoirs, as most of its water area is located within the large industrial center - the city of Voronezh. This arrangement of the reservoir complicates his regime, because along with the natural environment to significantly affect it’s hydrological, hydrobiological and hydrochemical features provide human factor [7].

Reservoir water resources are used for many purposes: water supply process water industries, irrigation suburban agricultural land, is the receiver of storm water and melted snow from the residential and the industrial part of the city, as well as the return water, including domestic and industrial. But most importantly, without which it would be impossible to provide drinking water to the city of Voronezh, due to water reservoirs replenished groundwater supplies are running city water, as water reservoirs have stable hydraulic connection with the Neogene-Quaternary aquifer complex. The latter, as we know, is the main source of water for the city district.

The bottom of the settling particulate matter significantly affects on water quality and forming sediment. Their significance for aquatic ecosystems is ambiguous: on the one hand, accumulating heavy metals and some minerals, they help cleanse the water, on the other - if certain conditions are transformed into a source of secondary pollution and adversely affect the redox processes in the aquatic environment.

Intensity of contamination of sediments generally increases uniformly from the upper reservoir to the levee. It was revealed extensive contamination of sediments with heavy metals (lead, chromium, vanadium, mercury). In smaller amounts found cadmium and zinc, locally recorded presence of arsenic and antimony [8,9]. During the period of operation of the reservoir sediment pollution in general has increased and in some areas - from 2 to 30 times.

Particle size distribution of suspended sediment in the deep area of the reservoir has the following features. In the spring, when the rate of water flow is relatively large, the distribution of large (greater than 0,05 mm in diameter) and small (less than 0,05 mm in diameter) was applied along the length of the reservoir there is a clear pattern. The percentage of large particles from the upper to the lower reaches of the reservoir decreases, and small, on the contrary, increases (table). The largest particles with a diameter of 0,6 mm are found in the upper reaches of the reservoir. At the bottom of the largest particles have a diameter of 0,05 mm. In summer these laws are observed: at this time the main factors in the distribution of the particles become wind mixing and agitation of water.

Along the length of the reservoir on the percentage of sediment fractions in the deepwater area during the spring flood is characterized as follows. The number of large sediment diameter 2-1 mm and 1-0,5 mm decreases from the upper to the lower reaches. Percentage of sediment less than 0,5 mm in diameter, on the contrary, along the length of the reservoir increases.

Table

Particle size distribution of suspended sediment in the deep area of the reservoir [7]

Hydrologic area	The content area of the particles,% by mass, with a diameter (mm)
	1,0-0,5	0,5-0,2	0,2-0,1	0,1-0,05	0,05-0,01	0,01-0,005	0,005-0,001	<0,001
Spring filling
V	4,8	38,2	13,3	11,7	6,0	7,8	6,7	11,4
IV-III	1,4	9,1	8,1	10,7	12,6	9,5	22,5	26,1
II-I	0,8	4,9	5,3	8,0	15,9	14,3	25,7	25,1
Summer low water
V	8,7	5,1	4,6	8,0	23,6	16,0	11,9	22,1
IV-III		2,3	4,6	4,7	16,2	18,0	18,6	35,6
II-I		7,7	4,5	4,9	29,4	37,0	6,2	10,3

Note: V - the deep sea; IV-III - underwater slopes coast; II-I - intermediate medium depths.

In connection with the unidirectional decrease the role of the freshwater resources of reservoirs in the water utility balance has been steadily increasing. Shortage of drinking and process water can be removed by the creation of new reservoirs as one of the strategic areas of water management of individual regions and the country as a whole. Special attention should be given to the formation of a responsible attitude to water resources usage. For this purpose evidence-based education, formation of the population in all age groups and society levels, the increasing of ecological culture are needed.

Literature

1. Troitsky A.V. Features of reservoirs creation in modern Russia / A. Troitsky / / Bull. "The use and protection of natural resources in Russia", 2003, № 4 - 5. - p. 52-55.

2. Water Code of the Russian Federation (on February 20, 2008) - Novosibirsk: Sib. university. Publishers, 2008. - 48 p.

3. Avakian A.B. Reservoirs: facts, problems, solutions / A.B. Avakian / / Bull. "The use and protection of natural resources in Russia", 2002, № 7 - 8. - p. 53-56.

4. Koldysheva R.Y. Basic standardized assessment for geo-environmental conditions of natural resources / R.Y. Koldysheva, S.V. Klubov / / Bull. "The use and protection of natural resources in Russia", 2002, № 7 - 8. - p. 25-42.

5. Experience and methods of studying the hydrogeological and geotechnical conditions of the large reservoirs / Ed. by S. Zolotarev, L.S. Sokolov, E.G. Chakovskiy. - Moscow: Mosk. University Press, 1961. - 360 p.

6. Edelstein K.K. Russian reservoirs: environmental problems, solutions / K.K. Edelstein. - Moscow: GEOS, 1998. - 277 p.

7. Mishon V.M. The reservoirs of the Central Black Earth / V.M. Michon. - Voronezh: Voronezh. University Press, 2004. - 137 p.

8. Voronezh Reservoir: a comprehensive study of the use and protection / V.M. Michon. - Voronezh Univ of Voronezh. University Press, 1988. - 188 p.

9. Security of Voronezh Reservoir. Documents of III region. conf. / Ch. ed. O.P. Negrobov - Voronezh: Voronezh. University Press, 2003 – 92 p.