engleski

Environmental flow assessment for the Mirna River and its tributaries

The waters of the Mirna River basin have been extensively used for supply of a large portion of the population, tourists, industry and agricultural irrigation in Istria. An enlargement of water reserve for current uses, as well as for construction of several planned golf courses is envisioned. At the current situation, an increased abstraction of water from the capped springs during the summer months already causes an absence of springs’ overflow and consequently, the lack of surface flow in the Mirna River. This current water shortage and increasing water demand (along with the recent adjustment of the water legislation of the Republic of Croatia to EU legislation), urged for an assessment of the Mirna River and its major tributaries environmental flow, as well as for the definition of the minimum overflow from the capped springs. With a multidisciplinary approach, using biological, ecological, hydrological and meteorological methods of monitoring and statistical data analysis during the period 2011-2012, these tasks were completed. Most of the flora and fauna present in the overhead flows of the Mirna River basin were analyzed, physical-chemical characteristics of water were determined and long series of meteorological and hydrological data from the Mirna River basin were analyzed. The basic approach to environmental flow definition was to ensure the natural ecological conditions for the development and maintenance of indigenous wildlife in the downstream river bed, along with the meeting the needs of current water uses.

Environmental Flow Assessment ; Mirna River ; Istria ; Croatia ; Conservation of Nature

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