Current State of Water Quality in the Reservoirs of the Upper Volga and Kama Cascades

The article is devoted to the assessment of the water quality of the Upper Volga and Kama cascades of the reservoirs of the Volga basin in different years in terms of water content in the modern period. The main factors influencing the formation of water quality in the reservoirs, which is significantly affected by the influx of pollutants from catchments from point and diffuse anthropogenic sources, are determined. The materials for the work were data from the state water management monitoring carried out by laboratories of organizations subordinate to the Upper Volga and Kama Basin Water Administrations of the Federal Water Resources Agency of the Russian Federation. When assessing the quality and ecological state of surface waters, as well as for a comparative analysis of the degree of pollution of water bodies, integral indices were used: the Water Pollution Index (WPI) and the Specific Combinatorial Water Pollution Index (SCWPI), calculated for years of different water content. The assessment of the water content of the years was determined by the empirical curves of the annual water inflow to the individual reservoirs. The analysis of the difference-integral curves of the annual inflow to the Upper Volga and Kama cascades of reservoirs showed their asynchrony since the beginning of the 21st century. For each of the reservoirs of the Upper Volga and Kama cascades, priority substances for control were identified that provide the greatest contribution to the deterioration of water quality. The application of the SCWPI and WPI calculation methodology showed that the reservoirs of the cascades are characterized by an unsatisfactory condition. In none of the reservoirs does the water quality meet the fishery standards. According to the SCWPI category, the water quality of the Kama reservoirs corresponds to the category of “polluted,” and that of the reservoirs of the Upper Volga cascade—“very polluted.” In some years, the water quality in the Ivankovskoye and Uglich reservoirs is assessed as “dirty.” According to the WPI category, the picture is similar. No effect of the inflow water content on the water quality in these water bodies was revealed. A comparison of the water quality assessment results, carried out using data sets from Rosvodresursy and Roshydromet, demonstrated a fairly close match.

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