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Impact of an inter‐basin water transfer and reservoir operation on a karst open streamflow hydrological regime: an example from the Dinaric karst (Croatia)
Author(s) -
Bonacci Ognjen,
Andrić Ivo
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
hydrological processes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.222
H-Index - 161
eISSN - 1099-1085
pISSN - 0885-6087
DOI - 10.1002/hyp.7817
Subject(s) - karst , hydrology (agriculture) , spillway , hydroelectricity , streamflow , drainage basin , structural basin , geology , water transfer , environmental science , geomorphology , water resource management , geography , geotechnical engineering , paleontology , electrical engineering , cartography , engineering
This paper describes the hydrological changes caused by inter‐basin water transfer and the reservoir development on the hydrological regimes of two rivers. The Sabljaki Reservoir in the Zagorska Mrežnica River and the Bukovik Reservoir in the upper Dobra River began operation in 1959. Both are part of the hydroelectric power plant (HEPP) Gojak, whose installed capacity is 50 m 3 /s. Their water volumes at the spillway altitudes of 320·10 and 320·15 m a. s. l. are 3·3 × 10 6 and 0·24 × 10 6 m 3 respectively. Both the Dobra and Mrežnica Rivers are losing, sinking and underground karst rivers. A 9376‐m‐long tunnel provides water from the Sabljaki Reservoir to the HEPP Gojak, which was constructed in the Lower Dobra River. The Sabljaki Reservoir is located in the Plaški karst polje, while the Bukovik Reservoir is located in the neighbouring Ogulin karst polje. The consequences of the inter‐basin water transfer are strong and have caused abrupt changes in the hydrological regimes of the downstream sections of both rivers. At the same time, the construction and development of both the reservoirs have also caused hydrological changes to the upstream section of the Upper Dobra River. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.