Vistula basin
The Vistula basin has a catchment area of 194.424 km², of which 168.699 km² is in Poland (89%).
The highest point of the basin is 270 meters above sea level . The Vistula flowing to 55% at altitudes of 100 to 200 meters. The highest point in the basin is the Gerlsdorfer Spitze (Slovak. Gerlachovský štít , Polish. Gerlach) with a height of 2655 meters. The Vistula basin is asymmetrical. The catchment area of the rivers to the right hand relative to the left hand is 73% to 27%. The Vistula Basin is located in the northwest of the Central European lowlands , consisting of the North German lowlands and the Eastern European plain (see also: Geomorphological classification of Poland ).
The Vistula Basin borders the Dnepr Basin in the east, the Danube Basin in the south, the small Dnestr Basin in the southeast and the Oder Basin in the west . In the north the Vistula River in Gdansk in the Baltic Sea (Gdansk Basin), previously the separated Nogat from that into the Vistula Lagoon opens in the north it borders on the Pregel basin, in the northeast the basin adjacent to the Memel basin .
Geomorphological classification
The Vistula Basin belongs to three geomorphological areas, in the middle the basin belongs to the North European Lowlands (old also North German Lowlands), in the north and west to the Eastern European Lowlands and in the south to the Carpathians.
Settlements along the Vistula
Big cities in the course of the Vistula are Krakow , Warsaw and Gdansk .
However, there are numerous other towns along the main river in the area. Politically, this is reflected in an administrative association. Members of the partnership "Związek Miast Nadwiślańskich" are (from the mouth to the source) the cities: Połaniec , Tarnobrzeg , Sandomierz , Annopol , Pulawy , Kozienice , Góra Kalwaria , Karczew , Łomianki , Zakroczym , Wyszogród , Płock , Włocławek , Dobrzyń , Nieszawa , Ciechocinek , Toruń , Solec Kujawski , Chełmno , Świecie , Gniew , Tczew and Danzig.
Main watershed
The eastern, southeastern and southern borders of the Vistula basin together form part of the main European watershed between the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea .
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The eastern border of the Vistula basin borders the Dnepr basin . The watershed is 350 km long and runs through the “Niziny Środkowopolskie” ridge, which delimits the basin at a height of 170 meters above sea level. On the eastern side of the ridge is actually the Pripyat Basin , which forms part of the Dnepr Basin and, as a larger sub-system of the Dnepr Basin, is independent of the Dnieper in terms of its inflow.
The southeastern border of the Vistula Basin borders on the Dniester Basin . The border is 230 km long. - It begins in the north, near the source of the western Bug, at an altitude of 345 m . At its southern end, the Dniester rises at an altitude of about 900 m above sea level in the Ukrainian Forest Carpathians near the village of Vovche near the Ukrainian-Polish border. Over a length of about three kilometers dozens of small streams flow together from the southwestern slopes of the Tschentyjewka Mountain (ukr. Чонтийовка / Tschontyjowka ) (923 m).
The southern border of the Vistula basin borders on the Danube basin . It has a length of 280 kilometers. The watershed begins in the east at the source of the San . It is located on the northern slope of the Carpathian Forest on the Uschok Pass at an altitude of 950 meters.
River system
The river system in Poland was divided into different regions. The description of the basin is based on this system.
The regions have the following names: Little Vistula water region (pl. Region wodny Małej Wisły), Upper Vistula water region (pl. Region wodny Górnej Wisły), Middle Vistula water region (pl. Region wodny Środkowej Wisły) and Lower Vistula water region (pl. Vistula water region (pl. Region wodny Dolnej Wisły).
There are also different politically designed water programs for different rivers in Poland.
The Vistula transports an average of 1.074 m³ / s of water. Other ways of subdividing the Vistula are based on three characteristic sections: “Upper Vistula” - from the sources to the mouth of the San River, “Middle Vistula” - from the mouth of the San to the mouth of the Narew River, and the section “Lower Vistula” - from the mouth of the Narew to the mouth of the Vistula into the sea. The lower reaches of the Vistula have a length of 391 km. In the section from the mouth of the Narew to Silno, the Vistula was left in its natural state for many years, while the section from Silno to the mouth of the Baltic Sea has been heavily regulated since the 19th century.
Lower Vistula water region
The river system is characterized by four main outflows in its mouth.
The first outflow is the Nogat with a catchment area of 1330 km². It flows into the Gdańsk Bay. After that, the Vistula is connected to the Mlynsik Canal (pl. Kanał Młyński).
The second outflow is the Szkarpawa with a catchment area of 782 km².
The third outflow is the division of the Vistula into Martwa Wisła (dt. Vistula who died) and Przekop Wisły (dt. Vistula piercing ). The areas around the Martwa Wisła are characterized by the outflow of the Motława (Eng. Motława) with a catchment area of 1511.3 km² and the Radunia with a catchment area of 837 km² near Gdansk.
Heel, black water
Tributaries to the Vistula Delta are: Wierzyca (German heel) with a catchment area of 1603 km², followed by the tributaries: Gniew , Mątawa , Osa .
Above, the Wda (German black water) with a catchment area of 2345 km² flows into Świecie, followed by Struga Niewieścińska .
It is followed by the Jeziorka at Konstancin-Jeziorna with a catchment area of 975.3 km².
Brda basin
The Brda (Eng. Brahe) forms a first lower basin with a catchment area of 4,627 km² and flows into the Vistula at Bydgoszcz . The Brda Basin includes the Kotomierzanka (left), Kamionka (right) and Bursztynica (left) rivers with the Szumionka. The landscape is characterized by numerous lakes.
Other tributaries up the Vistula are the Górny Kanał and the Struga Toruńska River .
Drwęca basin
The Drwęca (German: Drewenz) forms the second sub-basin of the Vistula with a catchment area of 5,536 km². The Drewenz basin comprises the rivers Skarlanka (right), Brynica (left) with Samionka , Pisa and Górzanka as well as the rivers Wel (left), Rypienica (left), Ruziec (left) and Grabiczek (left).
Other tributaries up the Vistula are the Tążyna , the Zgłowiączka with a catchment area of 1495.6 km², which flows into the Vistula at Włocławek , the Skrwa , the Skrwa Lewa at Płock and the Mołtawa .
Bzura pelvis
The Bzura forms with a catchment area of 7,788 square kilometers, the third sub-basins in the area. The Bzura Basin includes the Łasica (right), Utrata (right) rivers with the tributaries Korytnica (right), Teresinka (left), Rokitnica (left), Żbikówka (right), Regułka (right) and Raszynka (right), followed by Pisia (right), who feeds on Pisia Tuczna and Pisia Gągolina .
Followed by Witonia (left), Sucha (right) and Rawka (right) with the tributaries Korabiewka (right), Białka (left), Chojnatka (right), Rylka (right), Krzemionka (right).
Followed by Skierniewka (right), Bobrówka (right), Słudwia (left, with the tributaries Nida and Przysowa ), Mroga (right), the Stradzewski channel (left), the Moszczenica river (right), Ochnia (left, with the tributary Miłonka ), Struga (right), Kanał Balkowski (right) and Kanał Sierpowski (left), the Starówka River (right) and Linda (right).
Followed by Sokołówka (left, with the tributaries Wrząca (right), Aniołówka (left)) and the Brzoza River (left).
Narew basin
It is followed by the much larger Narew Basin with a catchment area of 75,175 km². It includes the states of Poland and Belarus. However, it lies essentially in the north-eastern part of Poland. The Narew is the fifth largest river in Poland and is 484 km long, excluding the tributary of the Bug, it covered an area of 28,000 km². The catchment area of the Narew in Poland is 53,873 km².
The uppermost part of the catchment area has an area of 7,243 km² (including 1,159 km², which are located in Belarus). The Narew passes there with the mouth of the Biebrza the border to Poland. The Narew is the largest tributary of the Vistula. The source of the Narew begins in the Białowieża Primeval Forest at an altitude of approx. 159 m and flows into the Vistula after 550.5 km at an altitude of 67.0 m.
The northern part of the basin is characterized by a large number of lakes. The Siemianowskie reservoir with a volume of 79.5 million m³ and the Zegrze reservoir with a volume of 94.3 million m³. Today they are used for local recreation, but also to supply Warsaw with electricity.
The basin developed in the last two ice ages and was covered in ice on land. From north to south the basin is criss-crossed by the following glacial landscape types: moraine lake district (moraine lake areas), outwash plains (sand areas), ice-marginal river valleys (rivers that carry a lot of ice water) and moraine hills (moraine hills). Sandy soils of various types predominate. During the Holocene, the main valleys were filled with mesotrophic-eutrophic layers of peat. The area lies in the temperate zone, where marine and distant continental air masses collide. The river network of the basin is strong and rich in tributaries, most of which have their origin in the post-glacial lakes in the northern part of the area. There are more than 500 lakes in the area that are larger than 1 hectare.
There are several irrigation and transport canals that connect the lakes and the river network. The amounts of water are typical of lowland rivers in this part of Europe with flood times after the snowmelt and regularly low current periods in autumn and summer.
Agricultural areas dominate the basin with almost 55% of the area. Agriculture is practiced in the highlands, the valleys are used as pasture and fodder land. 32% of the basin is used for forestry and is forested there, which is slightly higher than the national average of 28%. In the southeastern part of the basin, there are a number of alder forests that feed the groundwater.
The hydrological conditions in the Narew Basin are typical of lowland rivers. Often there is a spring flood, which is a result of the snowmelt, and low water occurs in summer. Precipitation determines the depth of the river, so that heavy summer rain can also lead to short-term floods.
Narew tributaries
Large rivers in the Narew Basin are the Wkra (right) with a catchment area of 5,322 km². The Wkra Basin comprises the rivers Sona (left), Łydynia (left), Mławka (left) and Płonka (right), followed by the Bug (left) with its numerous tributaries and a catchment area of 39,400 km², followed by the Pełta River (right ).
Followed by Orzyc (left), German Orschütz, with a catchment area of 2,077 km², with the tributaries Węgierka (right) and Morawka (left). Followed by Sikorka (left), Orz (left), Różanica (right), Róż (right) and Siekierka (right).
Followed by Omulew (right), German Omulef, with a catchment area of 2,053 km². Followed by Czeczotka (right), Rozoga (right), Szkwa (right), Ruż (left) and Krzywa Noga (right).
Followed by Pisa (right) with a catchment area of 4,500 km². The Skroda flows into the Pisa (left).
Followed by Lepacka Struga (left), Cetna (right), Penza (right), Łomżyczka (left), Narwica (right), Łojewek (right) and Jedwabianka (right).
Followed by Biebrza with a catchment area of 7,051 km². The Biebrza Basin is mainly characterized by the two rivers Ełk and Netta . The Ełk (right) feeds on Jerzgnia , Małkiń , Lega , the Netta (right) from Rospuda and Blizna . The Biebrza is followed by Ślina (left), Nereśl (right) and Kulikówka (right).
Followed by Supraśl with a catchment area of 1,844.4 km². Followed by Horodnianka (right) and Orlanka (left).
Followed by the Narewka with a catchment area of 725.16 km². The Narewka is fed by numerous bodies of water, the Waliczówka (left), Jabłoniówka (left), Bobrówka (right), Okulanka (left), Jelonka (left), Braszcza (right), Hwoźna (right), Przedzielna (left), Orłówka (right), Łutownia (left), Złota (right), Pierierownica (left) and the Tisovka (left).
The Narewka is followed by Rudnik (right), Prosty Rów (left), Kołonna (right) and Pszczółka (right).
Bug tributaries
The Bug represents a larger area within the Narew Basin with a catchment area of 39,400 km². The bow has a length of 772 km. According to other sources, the catchment area is 39,420 km², of which 19,284 km² are within Poland.
The Poltwa with a catchment area of 1,440 km², the Udal with a catchment area of 321 km², the Bukowa with a catchment area of 198.4 km², Huczwa with a catchment area of 1,394.3 km², Sołokija with a catchment area of 939 km² flow into the bow on the left , the Uherka , Włodawka , Krzna with a catchment area of 3,353 km², Toczna , Cetynia , Kałamanka with a catchment area of 123.3 km².
The rivers flow into the Bug on the right: Ług with a catchment area of 1,348 km², Muchawez , with a catchment area of 6,350 km², Liasnaja , 2,650 km², Nurzec , 2,102 km², Brok , 811 km², Liwiec , 2,780 km², Spasivka , 240 km², Studzianka , 150 km², Zolotukha , 232 km², Neretwa , 273 km², Pituschok , 85 km², Topkjy , 61 km², Izivka , 59 km², Gara , 140 km², Bystryak , 110 km², Zolochivka , 232 km², Kamjenka , 142 km², Rata , 1,790 km² ok. 1,820 km² source Uk Pl, Varyashanka , 238 km², Rokitne , 43 km², Solotvyna , 151 km², Holoyivka , 48 km², Fiszor , k. A. km², Buczynka , k. A. km², Czyżówka , k. A. km², Kapajówka , 264 km², Kołodziejka , k. A. km², Kamianka , k. A. km², Pukawka , Pulwa , 535 km², Sarenka , k. A. km², Warężanka , 239 km², in Poland 157 km²
In addition, the bow is connected to the Dnieper by a canal .
Ecological description of the Narew area
The area of the Narew was regulated around the mid-1970s for flood protection and drainage reasons. However, most of the floodplains are still intact and have not been drained. In contrast, the Siemianowka Reservoir is seriously changed, which has greatly changed the natural balance during floods. There are five weirs along the Narew, but none of them have fish ladders. In 2002 a new law on the management of civil protection was introduced, its significance and effects on river maintenance can only be assessed in the long term.
The catchment area of the Narew is an agricultural region with a low degree of industrialization and no heavy industry. Its main water problems are insufficient protection of groundwater resources and the high amount of pollution at certain points, particularly near the lake district.
The area around the Siemianowka reservoir in the upper reaches of the river poses a serious threat to the water quality (blue algae bloom) and changes the natural course of the flood momentum dynamics, which is crucial for the maintenance of the wetlands.
After the end of the “Narew Basin” there are further tributaries to the Vistula, these are the rivers Jeziorka , Świder and Rzeka Czarna .
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Pilica basin
It is followed by a larger basin, the Pilica basin, with a catchment area of 8,341 km². The Pilica has a length of 319 km and, according to other sources, a catchment area of 9,273 km² and flows into the Vistula near the town of Warka .
The Pilica flows through the Kraków-Częstochowa highlands and the central plateau of Środkowopolskie and the lowlands of Środkowomazowiecką. The confluence with the Vistula is near the village of Ostrówek, which is part of the urban area of Warka.
Further tributaries of the Vistula are Wilga and Okrzejka .
Radomka basin
The Radomka then forms the sixth sub-basin of the Vistula with a catchment area of approx. 2,000 km². The river has a length of 98 km, according to other sources a length of 107 km.
Other tributaries of the Vistula are the Zagożdżonka and the Iłżanka with a catchment area of 1127 km².
Wieprz basin
The Wieprz then forms the seventh sub-basin of the Vistula with a catchment area of 10,415 km². The river has a length of 303 km.
Other tributaries of the Vistula are Klikawka , Kurówka , Bystra , Grodarz , Plewka , Chodelka , Zwoleńka , Iłżanka and Krępianka .
Kamienna Basin
The Kamienna forms with a catchment area of 2,007.9 square kilometers, the eighth sub-basin of the Vistula. The river is only 138 km long.
Further tributaries of the Vistula in the course are Wrzelowianka , Wyżnica , Sanna and the small river Opatówka with a catchment area of 282 km².
San basin
It is followed by a larger basin, the San Basin, with a catchment area of 16,861 km², of which 14,390 km² are in Poland, as ninth. The San has a length of 443 km. From here the upper course of the Vistula begins.
The Koprzywianka follows with a catchment area of 707.4 km², which flows into the Vistula at Sandomierz .
Wisłoka Basin
The Wisłoka then forms the tenth sub-basin of the Vistula with a catchment area of 4,110 km². The river has a length of 164 km.
Nida Basin
The Nida then forms the eleventh sub-basin of the Vistula with a catchment area of 3,865 km². The river has a length of 153 km and flows into the Vistula at Nowy Korczyn .
In the Nida the Czarna flows into the Nida at Połaniec .
Dunajec basin
It is followed by the Dunajec river, a basin with a catchment area of 6,804 km², the twelfth sub-basin of the Vistula. The river has a length of 247 km. The larger city on the river is Tarnów .
Further tributaries are the Rudawa , which flows into the Vistula in the Zwierzyniec district of Krakow with a catchment area of 318.3 km².
Skawa basin
The Skawa , dt. Look, then forms the 13th and last lower basin of the Vistula with a catchment area of 1,160 km². The river has a length of 78 km, according to other sources a length of 96.4 km. The largest city in the catchment area is Zator .
After the Skawa flows the Przemsa , pl. also Przemsza south of Chełmek and north Oświęcim in the Vistula. The Przemsa has a catchment area of 2121 km².
This is followed by the Pszczynka stream , Pless / Pleß, and then the Gostynia stream flows into the Vistula.
The source of the Vistula is located in the Krajka region near the town of Strumień .
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Individual evidence
- ↑ The Vistula City Association, pl. Związek Miast Nadwiślańskich www.zmn.org.pl
- ↑ The Vistula City Association, pl. Związek Miast Nadwiślańskich www.zmn.org.pl Miasta Czlonkowskie
- ↑ Eastern border of the Niziny Środkowopolskie (see pol. Wikipedia)
- ↑ Dnepr basin borderline Archived copy ( memento of the original from December 20, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Prpjat basin boundary Archived copy ( memento of the original from December 20, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ The Bug River , also known as the Western Bug
- ↑ The Dniester River
- ↑ a b c The River San
- ↑ www.kzgw.gov.pl
- ↑ Polish Water Directive: http://isap.sejm.gov.pl/DetailsServlet?id=WDU20061260878
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Information from the Polish administration on river basins in the country http://www.zmn.org.pl/
- ↑ a b c Publication: “Floods on the Vistula in Toruń in the years 1951–2000”, see www.rusnauka.com
- ^ A b Polish Academy of Science: Committee for Land Reclamation and Environmental Engineering in Agriculture. - Institute for Land Reclamation and Grassland Farming: No. 10, 2006 page 23 >
- ↑ a b c Publication: The Narew River Basin: A model for the sustainable management of agriculture, nature and water supply , Marek Gielczewski, Utrecht University Repository, 2003, dissertation - page 22
- ↑ a b c d e f Information from the Powiat Makowski district http://www.powiat-makowski.pl/ about the Narew River
- ↑ a b c d e Publication: The Narew River Basin: A model for the sustainable management of agriculture, nature and water supply Dissertation - page 23
- ↑ a b c d Publication: The Narew River Basin: A model for the sustainable management of agriculture, nature and water supply Dissertation - page 24
- ↑ a b c dossier of the wwf on the Narew, part of the WWF report “Water and Wetland Index - Critical issues in water policy across Europe” (2003) " , in English
- ↑ The Dunajec River
- ↑ The Skawa River
