Chapter 14
Flood Potential of Polish Rivers
Artur Magnuszewski
Abstract Comparison of the highest precipitation totals shows that they are lower in
Poland than in Europe. This can be explained by moderate and transitional to continental climate of Poland and lowland relief of the country which do not enhance
precipitation. Higher precipitation can be obtained by the accumulation of the snow
and rapid thawing in the spring time. The different reaction of the rivers to precipitation can be measured by the use of flood potential index k proposed by J. Françou.
Flood potential index is calculated using long term discharge measurements at hydrological posts located at major rivers of Poland. Highest values of k index represent
Odra river mountain tributaries and upper Vistula tributaries. Lowest values of k
index are characteristic for the lowland rivers with a high percentage of lakes and
bogs in their catchments. It can be observed a change of flood potential index in
the longitudinal profile of Odra and Vistula river reflecting their potential for flood
hydrograph transformation. Flood potential index can be used in regional plans of
flood risk management.
Keywords Poland · Vistula river · Odra river · Flood potential index
14.1 Introduction
Floods on the rivers belong to the most severe natural hazards in Poland. Recently
after the two major floods in 1997 on the Odra river and 2010 on the Vistula river, there
is a growing interest in the temporal and regional distribution of that phenomena.
There is also a discussion in the mass media as well as among scientists about
contributions of climate or anthropogenic processes to those floods. To be prepared
for floods, it has been started in Poland a program called ISOK (informatics system
of risk assistance and evaluation) including also flood risk management plan based
on flood risk maps. The plan of flood risk management proposes different actions
which should minimize flood risk-taking in to account the differences between rivers
A. Magnuszewski (B)
Department of Geography and Regional Studies, University of Warsaw, Krakowskie Przedmie´ scie
30, 00-927 Warsaw, Poland
e-mail: asmagnus@uw.edu.pl
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
M. Zeleˇ náková et al. (eds.), Management of Water Resources in Poland, Springer Water,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61965-7_14
269
Flood Potential of Polish Rivers
Artur Magnuszewski
Abstract Comparison of the highest precipitation totals shows that they are lower in
Poland than in Europe. This can be explained by moderate and transitional to continental climate of Poland and lowland relief of the country which do not enhance
precipitation. Higher precipitation can be obtained by the accumulation of the snow
and rapid thawing in the spring time. The different reaction of the rivers to precipitation can be measured by the use of flood potential index k proposed by J. Françou.
Flood potential index is calculated using long term discharge measurements at hydrological posts located at major rivers of Poland. Highest values of k index represent
Odra river mountain tributaries and upper Vistula tributaries. Lowest values of k
index are characteristic for the lowland rivers with a high percentage of lakes and
bogs in their catchments. It can be observed a change of flood potential index in
the longitudinal profile of Odra and Vistula river reflecting their potential for flood
hydrograph transformation. Flood potential index can be used in regional plans of
flood risk management.
Keywords Poland · Vistula river · Odra river · Flood potential index
14.1 Introduction
Floods on the rivers belong to the most severe natural hazards in Poland. Recently
after the two major floods in 1997 on the Odra river and 2010 on the Vistula river, there
is a growing interest in the temporal and regional distribution of that phenomena.
There is also a discussion in the mass media as well as among scientists about
contributions of climate or anthropogenic processes to those floods. To be prepared
for floods, it has been started in Poland a program called ISOK (informatics system
of risk assistance and evaluation) including also flood risk management plan based
on flood risk maps. The plan of flood risk management proposes different actions
which should minimize flood risk-taking in to account the differences between rivers
A. Magnuszewski (B)
Department of Geography and Regional Studies, University of Warsaw, Krakowskie Przedmie´ scie
30, 00-927 Warsaw, Poland
e-mail: asmagnus@uw.edu.pl
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
M. Zeleˇ náková et al. (eds.), Management of Water Resources in Poland, Springer Water,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61965-7_14
269