Abstract: The Curonian and Vistula Lagoons should be considered to be a part of one natural hydraulic system, as they are connected via two branches of the Prgolya River (the Pregolya River proper and the Deyma branch). The catchment upstream of the point of bifurcation of the Pregolya River into these two branches belongs to both lagoons and comprises 14 % and 57 % of the entire catchments of the Curonian and Vistula Lagoons, respectively. Approximately 36–40 % and 60–64 % of the run-off of the Pregolya River discharges into the Curonian and Vistula Lagoons, respectively. While the Curonian Lagoon has maintained the same environmental conditions over the ages, the Vistula Lagoon experienced considerable anthropogenic modification at the end of the nineteenth century, evolving from a freshwater running coastal lake to an estuarine lagoon with predominant marine influence. Nowadays, changes in the physical characteristics of both lagoons are mostly expressed in water level and temperature rise. Details of the annual hydraulic cycle and the spatial patterns of salinity, temperature and bottom sediment variability are discussed for the Vistula Lagoon. Both lagoons are transboundary, belonging to countries with different water management systems (Russia is a non-EU country, Lithuania and Poland are EU countries). Both lagoons are most intensively used for fishing, but the Vistula Lagoon has many other significant purposes as well, especially navigation. As a consequence, there exist numerous potential conflicts between environmental and anthropogenic use, as well as other types of use, of the lagoon area.
Publication Year: 2016
Publication Date: 2016-09-28
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 22
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