engleski

Ecohydrology of Dojran lake

In the Republic of Macedonia there are three natural lakes: Ohrid, Prespa and Dojran. Smallest one is Dojran Lake but not less significant as a water resource and as a scenic beauty. The last 15 years this place of natural heritage is threatened because the lake's water level decreased seriously. The watershed area of the lake and the lake itself are shared by Macedonia and Greece. Recharge of the lake is from direct runoff, small rivers and groundwater. Since 1988 the lake surface dropped from 42 km2 to 31 km2, and more significantly the water volume decreased from 262 million m3 to only 80 million m3 in 2000. This water declination together with the simultaneous deterioration of the water quality resulted with serious ecological impacts. Biodiversity diminished and the reduction of plankton led to a reduction of fish portion. Also the number of birds decreased dramatically. The attack on the ecosystem had a harmful impact on the economy in the region. Tourism had been the most important sector, but it completely stopped, and in 2000 were only tenth of the level in the eighties. How much the present state of this natural lake is under the impact of hydrology and climate, and how much this is due to some other not clearly identified causes, should be main goals in future water management in both countries that share the lake watershed and the water lake itself. As the environmental state of the water bodies are very close related to hydrological characteristics of the region, there can not be complete environmental assessment without serious analyzes of the basic hydrological parameters and their monitoring. This paper will present some hydrological and meteorological analyses of Dojran Lake based on the data collected at meteorological station Nov Dojran. Quantity and quality of hydrological and meteorological data, water use and water quality data will be assessed and discussed as well. The intention of the authors is to stress out the vulnerability of lake waters and its biodiversity and to initiate urgent and strong support of the international community in undertaken joint interstate projects and actions on both sides, Macedonia and Greece.

hydrology; water level; rainfall; temperature; evaporation

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