13 Environmental and Anthropogenic Determinants of Water Chemistry …
315
areas in the Carpathians. However, threats that do exist are associated with unregulated releases of wastewater in rural areas. Wastewater generated by tourists is a
major threat to stream water quality in areas with high environmental value such as
Carpathian national parks that are highly popular with tourists. Tourist lodges release
wastewater into local streams leading to excess nitrogen and phosphorus concentration in stream water. For example, the concentration of NH 4
+ in two streams
in the Tatra National Park downstream of the wastewater release point was about
200 times larger than the concentration upstream of the release point. Since 2009,
thanks to European Union support, the water and wastewater management situation in
Carpathian protected areas improved significantly due to building or modernization
numerous wastewater treatment plants at mountain lodges.
13.6 Recommendations
I believe that the most important fields of inquiry for future hydrochemical studies in
the Polish Carpathians are as follows (i) identification of factors determining spring
water chemistry on the basis of systematic methods employed in small catchments
representing all major Carpathian regions, (ii) determination of ion migration pathways leading to Carpathian stream channels during rainfall and snowmelt events, (iii)
determination of the impacts of tourist traffic and associated tourist infrastructure on
stream water and groundwater quality throughout the Carpathians in order to more
effectively protect them from degradation.
References
1. Stachy J (1985) Re˙ zim hydrologiczny rzek polskich. PWN, Warszawa
2. Dynowska I (1995) Wody. In: Warszy´ nska J (ed) Karpaty polskie. Uniwersytet Jagiello´ nski,
Kraków, pp 49–67
3. Ziemo´ nska Z (1973) Stosunki wodne w Polskich Karpatach Zachodnich. Prace Geogr PAN
103:1–124
4. Chowaniec J, Freiwald P, Patorski R, Witek K (2006) Zwykłe wody podziemne w zachodniej
cz˛ e´ sci polskich Karpat fliszowych. Gaz, Woda i Technika Sanitarna 11:14–17
5. Chełmicki W, Bie´ nkowski T (2005) Przepływy ni˙ zówkowe w dorzeczu górnego Dunajca w
2003 r. na tle wielolecia 1951–2003. Folia Geogr Ser Geogr Phys 35–36:65–75
6. Gutry-Korycka M, Woronko D, Sucho˙ zebrski J (2009) Uwarunkowanie regionalne maksymalnych prawdopodobnych przepływów rzek polskich. Pr i Studia Geogr 43:25–48
7. Bryndal T (2014) Powodzie błyskawiczne w małych zlewniach karpackich – wybrane aspekty
zarz˛ adzania ryzykiem powodziowym. Annales Universitatis Paedagogicae Cracoviensis,
Studia Geographica 7(170):69–80
8. Misztal A, Smoro´ n S (2003) Zasilanie ´
srodowiska makropierwiastkami zawartymi w mokrym
i suchym opadzie w rejonie bukowiny tatrza´ nskiej. Woda- ´
Srodowisko-Obszary Wiejskie
3(2):79–90
9. ˙
Zelazny M (2012) Czasowo-przestrzenna zmienno´ s´ c cech fizykochemicznych wód
Tatrza´ nskiego Parku Narodowego. IGiGP UJ, Kraków
315
areas in the Carpathians. However, threats that do exist are associated with unregulated releases of wastewater in rural areas. Wastewater generated by tourists is a
major threat to stream water quality in areas with high environmental value such as
Carpathian national parks that are highly popular with tourists. Tourist lodges release
wastewater into local streams leading to excess nitrogen and phosphorus concentration in stream water. For example, the concentration of NH 4
+ in two streams
in the Tatra National Park downstream of the wastewater release point was about
200 times larger than the concentration upstream of the release point. Since 2009,
thanks to European Union support, the water and wastewater management situation in
Carpathian protected areas improved significantly due to building or modernization
numerous wastewater treatment plants at mountain lodges.
13.6 Recommendations
I believe that the most important fields of inquiry for future hydrochemical studies in
the Polish Carpathians are as follows (i) identification of factors determining spring
water chemistry on the basis of systematic methods employed in small catchments
representing all major Carpathian regions, (ii) determination of ion migration pathways leading to Carpathian stream channels during rainfall and snowmelt events, (iii)
determination of the impacts of tourist traffic and associated tourist infrastructure on
stream water and groundwater quality throughout the Carpathians in order to more
effectively protect them from degradation.
References
1. Stachy J (1985) Re˙ zim hydrologiczny rzek polskich. PWN, Warszawa
2. Dynowska I (1995) Wody. In: Warszy´ nska J (ed) Karpaty polskie. Uniwersytet Jagiello´ nski,
Kraków, pp 49–67
3. Ziemo´ nska Z (1973) Stosunki wodne w Polskich Karpatach Zachodnich. Prace Geogr PAN
103:1–124
4. Chowaniec J, Freiwald P, Patorski R, Witek K (2006) Zwykłe wody podziemne w zachodniej
cz˛ e´ sci polskich Karpat fliszowych. Gaz, Woda i Technika Sanitarna 11:14–17
5. Chełmicki W, Bie´ nkowski T (2005) Przepływy ni˙ zówkowe w dorzeczu górnego Dunajca w
2003 r. na tle wielolecia 1951–2003. Folia Geogr Ser Geogr Phys 35–36:65–75
6. Gutry-Korycka M, Woronko D, Sucho˙ zebrski J (2009) Uwarunkowanie regionalne maksymalnych prawdopodobnych przepływów rzek polskich. Pr i Studia Geogr 43:25–48
7. Bryndal T (2014) Powodzie błyskawiczne w małych zlewniach karpackich – wybrane aspekty
zarz˛ adzania ryzykiem powodziowym. Annales Universitatis Paedagogicae Cracoviensis,
Studia Geographica 7(170):69–80
8. Misztal A, Smoro´ n S (2003) Zasilanie ´
srodowiska makropierwiastkami zawartymi w mokrym
i suchym opadzie w rejonie bukowiny tatrza´ nskiej. Woda- ´
Srodowisko-Obszary Wiejskie
3(2):79–90
9. ˙
Zelazny M (2012) Czasowo-przestrzenna zmienno´ s´ c cech fizykochemicznych wód
Tatrza´ nskiego Parku Narodowego. IGiGP UJ, Kraków