The Volga River is the biggest stream in Europe. Its basin is the largest and most important economical area in Russia. The hydrology of the Volga River is characterized by a series of reservoirs and dams used for the generation of hydroelectric power and the inflow of several large tributaries. Within the framework of the German-Russian research cooperation entitled "Volga/Rhine", the environmental situation of the Volga River will be investigated by a consortium of six German and four Russian institutions. The project is financed by the German Ministry of Research and Education (BMBF) and supported by several Russian agencies. The main objective of our subproject is to study the influence of highly populated industrial areas, hydroelectric dams, and inputs from tributaries on the water quality of the Volga River in the area of Nishny Novgorod. In addition a survey on the drinking water quality in this region will be carried out and the results of our studies on the Volga River will be compared to the situation of the well studied Rhine River.

The foundation of the cooperation project „enviromental research“ between russian and german scientists is the agreement „cooperation on the field of waters reseach and enviromental technologies“ between the ministry of science an technology of the russian federation and the ministry of education and research in germany (BMBF).

Part 1: Effects of congested areas, damming and tributorys on the water quality und drinking water supply in the volga area – project study Nishnij Novgorod (DVGW-research site, Engler-Bunte-institute of the university Karlsruhe; VNIIGiM, Moskau and NNSAACE Nishnij Novgorod)

Part 2: Anorganic and organic pollutants and nutrients in the volga sediments: inquiries, proof, origin, effect on aquatic ecological systems, particulary on the eutrophic effects and the production of drinking water from the river ( IUG, university Heidelberg; VNIIGiM, Moskau and NNSAACE Nishnij Novgorod)

Part 3: Quantification of erosive discharging of nutrients from areas for intaking water and development of enduring concepts for the usage of land (UFZ, Leipzig-Halle; IFPB in Pushino)