Open    Access



Impact of the Iron Gates on the Sediments with an Emphasis on the Area of the Future Belene Nuclear Power Plant



Author(s)

Tzviatka Karagiozova and Plamen Ninov

Full-Text PDF XML     1130 Views

DOI:doi:10.17265/2328-2193/2020.02.001

National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, Sofia 1784, Bulgaria

The present investigation has been fulfilled with a view to the future nuclear power station constriction near the Belene Island. Sediment loads and sediment transportation are important factors for the technical water supply of the nuclear station Belene. The paper deals with change of suspended sediment load at Bulgarian part of the Danube River downstream of the Iron Gates. Recent data on suspended sediment loads for the hydrometric gauge station at Svishtov have been collected, computed and presented. The results obtained discover the time variability of the sediment loads, climate change and the anthropogenic impact on the suspended sediments. The tendency of alteration and inter-annual variability of the suspended sediments are investigated and characteristics of average annual, monthly and maximal values are shown. In the material archive granulometric data are presented for this part of the Bulgarian stretch before the Iron Gates construction in the conditions of the natural sediment regime. There are statistical parameters of the studied characteristics of the river turbidity and discharge before and after the anthropogenic impact. The increase of the absolute minimal turbidity has been determined after the Iron Gate I as a result of activation of the bed processes and hydro-morphological changes.

Suspended sediment load, climate change impact, anthropogenic impact.