Influenţa lacurilor de acumulare asupra regimului hidrografic al râului Botna [Articol]

Abstract

The paper analyzes the impact of reservoirs on the hydrological regime of the Botna River, a right tributary of the Dniester River, located in the central part of the Republic of Moldova. The study uses the “Indicators of Hydrological Change” (IHC) method to compare multiannual average flows before and after the construction of reservoirs in the Botna River basin, focusing on data from the Căușeni hydrometric station (1949–2024). Two periods were analyzed: 1949–1960 – natural hydrological regime and 1961–2024 – regulated hydrological regime (with reservoirs). Statistical methods and GIS (Excel, ArcGIS, QGIS) were used. Multiannual average daily flows and runoff formation trends were analyzed. The multiannual average flow in the regulated regime (1961–2024) is ~0.82 m³/s, double the natural period (~0.39 m³/s). The general trend was for flow increases until the 1980s, followed by a slight decrease. Contrary to the initial hypothesis, the lakes did not have a negative impact on the long-term hydrological regime.