engleski

Protection of the kast aquifers in the river Kupa catchment area and sustainable development

River Kupa catchment area is one of the most significant water resources in Croatia, located in the border area with Slovenia. About 85% of total amount of water of the river Kupa discharges on the Croatian side so the catchment areas are of the significant dimensions. It is the typical karst aquifers of Dinarides, with relative fast water exchange in the ground, with high velocities of groundwater flow, opened towards the surface by numerous swallow holes, therefore the aquifer of high vulnerability and high risk. High quantities of high quality springs water (about 3.5 m3/s) give the strategic importance to the whole area, and the water resources get the high strategic importance of future development of the west part of the Republic of Croatia. In this paper the investigation results of the whole water system on Croatian side are presented. Thereby, the available investigation methods were used ; from the classical hydrogeological approach, the detail hydrologic calculation of water balance, the groundwater tracing, hydrogeochemical analyses and modelling and finally the protection zones and protection measures for the whole area. It is emphasized that the catchment areas lie in the zones of major traffic corridors, oil pipelines, railway and numerous settlements with developed wood industry and all of those subjects, with prevention measures and remediation activities, should satisfy very strict protection requirements for the karst aquifers. Although they are the karst aquifers of high risk, the solutions exist, even the possibilities for lowering the existing risk from today's development level of the whole area.

Kupa river catchment area; karst springs; protection system; groundwater; hydrogeology

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