The Czarny Dunajec River, Poland, As an Example of Human- Induced Development Tendencies in a Mountain River Channel
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Land/orm Analysis, Vol. 4: 57-64 (2003) The Czarny Dunajec River, Poland, as an example of human induced development tendencies in a mountain river channel Kazimierz Krzemieri Jagielloflian University IlIstitllte of Geography and Spatial Management ul. Grodzka 64, 31-044 Krak6w, Poland Abstract: The Czamy Ounajec is a typical river origmating in high mountains (the Western Tatras). Over tbe entire Qualernary era tbe river laboured carrying material away from the Tatras and depositing it in LA the form ofltypical brtided channel at their foot. Atlbe cnd of the 19· century. river management projects -- and quarrying operallons located directly in the very chlnnel set off I rejuvenltlon process thal was further - accelerated at the end of 196Os. The activitIes resulted in the damaged several sectIons in their natural form and considerably deepened the channel. Measures taken to restrict the Imount of material entering the Czorsltyn Dam have largely failed. From the geomorphologic and enVironmental points of view I continued transformation of the Czamy DunaJee river ebannel should be regarded as highly ad\·erse. Fig. 7. Evorsion hole in the cUllmg of the unpa\cd road Kcy "'ords: mounlain river channels. fluvial processes. human pressure. Western Carpathiao Mts. Introduction made to onc river section can lead to changes, which are difficult to predict in others (Osuch, The contemporary diversification of river 1968; Klimek, 1983). In order to determine their channels is a result of long-tenn processes cov current status and to try to predict the develop ering the entire catchment basins. As active chan ment tendencies (Wasson et al., 1993; Chelmicki nel sections indicate the current stage of a river and Krzemieil, 1999), therefore, it is very impor channel evolution, a description ofthe entire river tant to evaluate the cntire systems. Channel struc channel system helps understand the principles of tures should be evaluated first and only then can how it works (Choeley, Kennedy, 1971). Infonna changes be made. The Czamy Dunajec river is tion on the entire channel systems is mainly a very wonhy object of such an investigation, as supplied by field research, supplemented by maps its river channel has becn subject to intensive and aerial photographs (Mosley, 1987; Tbome, human-induced transformation involving river 1998; Kamykowska et al., 1999). However, as management and aggregate extraction, especial most of the research has focused only on select ly after the Second World War. These acti\lities ed river sections, little is known about river are still being carried out despitc the official dec channel systems at the scale of entire mountain larations of the relev80l authorities that no fur ranges or even larger catchment areas. ther river management work is planned and the Similarly, treated as a whole, the upper Vis extraction of the material from the river being tula-catchment system is unquestionably under legally prohibited. researched. Meanwhile, as several Carpathian The research project conducted in the Czarny rivers are subject to management schemes and Dunajec catchment basin was aimed at under their channels dug for building aggregatcs, their standing the structure of the channel system and systems have not been properly investigated. The demonstrating thc natural and human-induced research carricd out so far shows that alterations causes of its transformation. •_ Landform 57 Kazimierz Krzemien The Czamy Dunajec River, Poland, as example of human-induced development tendencies ... Research area (ridge), Kotlina Orawsko-Nowotarska (mid Research methods Next, the following reaches were defined on mountain basin) and the Dzialy Orawskie (Kli a map: The Czarny Dunajee catchment area covers maszewski, 1972, Fig.I). Field research in the area started in 1975. transecting coarse moraine material; fluvio-gla c. 473 km". Geomorphologically, it is located in The river is the resultant of three converging Investigation into thc structure of the channel cial, bedrock or alluvial covcrs; cutting all the three topographic units, the Tatra Mts., the streamS: Chocholowski, Koscieliski and Lejowy. employed a special register form and an instruc way to the bedrock, thus indicating a tenden Podhale region and the Western Beskidy Mts. Its Both in terms of thc geomorphology and hydrol tions manual developcd in the Geomorphology cy to downcutting; complex geology includes metamorphic rocks, ogy (Krzemien, 1991) the Chocholowska valley Department of the Institute of Geography and - braiding, indicating a tendency to deposition, graintoid, quarzite, limestone, sandstone and is its source valley. This paper pays particular Spatial Economy, Jagiellonian University (Ka re-deposition and lateral erosion; jlysch shale (Fig. I). The catchment area is locat attention to the channel pattern at the foot of the mykowska et ul., 1999). So far, the entire Czarny with the largest index of undercut bank area ed in five regions, i.e. the Western Tatras, Row Tatras. The structure of the ChochoJowski stream Dunajec river channel system has been mapped indicating a tendency to lateral erosion; Podtatrzanski (trench), Pasmo Gubalowskie has also been described elsewhere (Kaszowski twice (1977 and 1999) and a detailed investiga other (all not defined according to the applied and Krzemicn, 1979; Krzemieil, tion was carried out into the fluvial dynamics in criteria) grouped as transporting reaches. 1981; 1991; RllCzkowska. 1983). the upper course of the river (Krzemien, 1981 and Generally speaking, major morphological th NOWY The Czarny Dunajec river chan 1991). Additionally, 19\·- and 20 _century maps processes were identified by looking at particu nel is 30 to 50 m wide with stretch and aerial photos were used to analyse the chan lar scts of features, i.e.: es of up to 200 m wide, and its flood nel system development trends. downcutting was identified by the existence plain is 100-500 m wide. The flood The fundamental channel reaches were de of bedrock channels and alluvial channels with plain, rises 1-3 m above the river fined on the basis of the channel pattern and the rocky outcrops in the river bed; bed, is transectcd by multiple aban features and markcd on a map and aerial photos. lateral erosion was identified by tbe high doned channel-systems and is most They were then described in a standardised way values of the bank undercut ratio and by lat ly overgrown wi1h bushes and trees. involving the quantitative and qualitative charac eral migration of the channels; The channel rubble varies as to the teristics ofthe channel, its features, the rubble and deposition was identified by high thickness of o 5 km L'~~_~~~I type of rocks and the mechanical the degree to which the channel was managed. alluvial formations and high alluvial surface .••./ composition (Borowski and Kocisze Also, the flood plain was described and analysed. ratio values; ./ redeposition was idcntified bascd on high , wska-MusiaJ, 1959; Nawara, 1960). In total, 13 reaches of the Potok Chocho· , I ............ ; It consists mainly of granite and iowski (11.8 km) and 20 of the Czarny Dunajec values of the alluvial surface ratio and the -#11111111 .. .... quartzite clasts, up to 20 cm in di (37.6 km) were mapped and characterised. 'wild' ratio, as well as based on 'wandering , bars' moving ovcr regulation structures or into Chochol6w ----_. • ameter. The proportion of granite in ;. 19 c , creases from the source down to the vegetated areas; '. , transportation (transportation reaches) was '" ~ village ofChocholow, and then falls Morphologically active channel types 1973,V • ++0+-- identified when there was no clear dominance • • .18 towards Nowy Targ. The converse is , • • WMw \ • HO true of quartzite. The largest-size In 1977, a typology of the channel reaches of one ratio over the others or when the val 17 1963 , , , •••• material comprises granite and was developed on the basis of the collected data ues of the alluvial surface and bank undercut ,, £J J..QQ.. , 0 16 1968 V quartzite varying from 40 cm max describing the channel, its ground features and the ting ratios were very low. The transportation 15 imum in the upper course, 30 cm in fluvial rubble, and the use of calculated indices JOeaches, in general, could by otherwise referred KOJs6WKA • '0000 (Fig. I ), The analysis of the Czarny Dunajec to as transit reaches because the movement of 14 the middle course to 20 cm in the Roztokj ...... lower course of thc river. The max channel system was based on features providing the rubble docs not cause any major changes direct or indirect information on the dynamics of of the channel morphology. Such reaches can 13 B imum high water on the Czarny ........... '.. KIRY the channel, i.c. those processes, which form and be very stable for years. ,. Dunajec is normally associated with ,- -- continuous summer intensive rains transform the channel. Thus, river channel pro In 1977, this material served as the basis for falling between June and August. A cesses were selected as the basic criterion for the defining 6 dynamic channel types (Fig. I ): I) maximum dischargc of 870 ml/s definition or separate channel reach types. The erosion reaches produced primarily by downcut ,f A was recorded in 1934, and a mini analysis took into account the following: ting, 2) erosion reaches driven by lateral erosion ~, mum of 0.85 m3/s in 1964. Thc I) geology (bedrock, bedrock-and-rubble and and downcutting, 3) erosionlre-deposition reach ,, alluvial reaches); ,•" , natural structure of the river chan es, 4) re-deposition reaches produced by re-dep o , 2) horizontal channel pattern; osition and lateral erosion, 5) transportation • nel, developed over a long period of , , " 3) channel bcd mobility; reaches, and 6) deposition reaches. , '.,\ " 11 time, was that of a typical braided III ".----, channel running across gravel. At 4) bar index in m" per I km; The Czarny DunajcclPotok Chocholowski is the end of the 19\h century it began 5) largest material size in the channel rubble; a complex type of channel system (Fig.