Assessment of the geoecological state of small water currents in polder lands: methodological approach and cartographic support

Abstract

The watercourses of the Kaliningrad region are one of the most important natural components with a multi-purpose use. Unfortunately, their geoecological state is assessed as unsatisfactory due to the negative impact exerted on them. The region includes unique polder lands, the watercourses of which are highly vulnerable to negative natural and anthropogenic impacts. These watercourses are poorly researched, in the post-Soviet period they were not actually explored, which led to a lack of information in various scientific and practice-oriented areas. All of the above emphasizes the importance of conducting geoecological studies of the watercourses of the polder lands. The aim of the research is to assess the geoecological state of the basins of small watercourses in the polder lands of the Slavsky District with further cartographic visualization of its spatial differentiation. A methodical approach has been developed to obtain a geoecological indicator represented by a quantitative indicator of polluting chemicals in water, leveling the information deficit, by conjugated analysis of available, but very limited hydrological, hydrochemical and geoecological data. Formulas and calculated dependencies are obtained that allow one to find quantitative characteristics of pollution in the rivers of other polder regions, taking into account the designated limits of application. The spatial differentiation of the geo-ecological state of the basins of small watercourses in the Slavsky District was identified and mapped by 13 criteria, divided into interrelated groups: anthropogenic load, water quality, the territory’s ability to self-purify, transit capacity. The geoecological state of the researched watercourses and their watersheds is characterized as “highly stressed”: for the river. Osa—“very tense” (3.95 % of the land); for r. Zlaya—“tense” (5.93 % of land); in the basins of the Shlyuzovaya and Nemoninka rivers—“conflict” (38.96 % of land), the rest of the area—“highly stressed” (51.16 % of land).