Integrated Water Resource Management in Catchment Areas - Utilization Orientated Water Quality in the Catchment Area of the Volga
Subproject D: Substances and their Transformations in the River Volga and Tributaries. A Chronological Comparison.
(WOLGA III)

In Russia a large political and social change has taken place in the last decades. In some parts of the country this change had strong consequences for the industry, the agriculture and the society, which are accompanied by strong influences of the environment. Especially, the Russian rivers, which are the most important drinking water resource, are strongly affected. A safe supply of drinking water in Russia is hence not only assured by technical water treatment, but is also strongly influenced by the water quality of the rivers.

Based on results of earlier investigations, a new survey of the water quality of the rivers Moskva, Oka and Volga is conducted and compared to water quality guidelines, like the ones proposed by the Länderarbeitsgemeinschaft Wasser (LAWA). By this means, conclusions on long-term as well as seasonal trends of the water quality can be drawn. The results provide a profound base for a sustainable area- and river-management.

Next to the data collection, a detailed analysis of discharges and sediments in the catchment areas as well as pathways of diffuse and punctual entries of pollutants is conducted. The investigation of eutrophication relevant parameters, with an emphasis on phosphorous, and dissolved organic matter is of special interest. With the aid of modelling and simulation tools and a detailed analysis of the origin, conversion and disposition of ecology relevant parameters, possibilities to reduce entries are derived.

Abbildung 1: Zusammenarbeit der Gewässergüte orientierten Arbeitsgruppen zur Aufklärung der eutrophierungsrelevanten Prozesse in der Wolga

• DVGW-Forschungsstelle am Engler-Bunte-Institut (EBI)
• Universität Karlsruhe (TH) in Kooperation mit den von Prof. Nestmann und Prof. Krohmer koordinierten Arbeiten zur Gewässermengenbewirtschaftung 
• Universität Heidelberg - Institut für Umwelt-Geochemie (IUG)
• UFZ – Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle GmbH, Department Bodenphysik (UFZ)