Geografie 2008, 113, 383-399
Peat bogs influence on runoff process: Case study of the Vydra and Křemelná River basins in the Šumava Mountains, southwestern Czechia
Specific part of wide complex of preventive measures against floods and extreme droughts could be procedures realized in river headstream areas. In order to increase a water retention in headwaters the detailed analysis of peat bogs hydrological function needs to be carried out. Suitable conditions for the research realization at present is related to an existence of several automatic water level gauges and utilization of modern equipment and methods in experimental catchments of the Otava River headstream area (Šumava Mts., southwestern Czechia), representing the core zone of a number of extreme floods in Central Europe. Thorough analyses of extreme runoff phases show more distinct discharge variability of streams draining peat land localities. For the retention potential assessment the detailed measurement of potential accumulation reservoirs, bathymetric mapping of bog pools and the detailed analysis of snow conditions as an important component of a rainfall-runoff process in headwaters is being pursued. The final part of the paper is consisted of suggestions of several unforceable measures implementation that could contribute to reduction of peak flows and to increase of water resources during extreme droughts in future.
Keywords
retention potential, headstream area, flood protection, upper Otava River basin, runoff variability, drought, peat bogs hydrological function.
Funding
The presented research was funded by the project VaV SM/2/57/05 "Long-term Changes of River Ecosystems in Floodplains Affected by Extreme Floods", Research Plan MSM 0021620831 "Geographical Systems and Risk Processes in Context of Global Changes and European Integration" of the Czech Ministry of Education and the Charles University Grant Agency project No. 2371/2007 "Water Retention in River Headstream Areas as an Instrument of Integrated Flood Protection and Drought Problem Solving".
