Water Resources in Upper Ialomita River Basin (Carpathians, Subcarpathians, Romania)
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WATER AND GEOSCIENCE Water Resources in Upper Ialomita River Basin (Carpathians, Subcarpathians, Romania) OVIDIU MURĂRESCU, GICA PEHOIU Department of Geography University “Valahia” of Târgovişte Str. Lt. Stancu Ion, no. 3436A, Târgovişte ROMANIA [email protected], [email protected] Abstract. Fitting IalomiŃa upper river basin began in the interwar period of the last century and was intensified after the flood that took place in the 70s during the same century. In this context, we can speak of an anthropized river system for 72 km of the river (from springs - altitude over 2400 meters, to the contact with the High Plain of Targoviste). Some water resources and reserves were reduced, making the degree of satisfaction to be between 5075%. The karst hydrostructures from the mountainous area could meet the water needs of downstream consumers (subcarpathian area), but they are insufficiently controlled and estimated, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Totaled, the two resources - surface water and groundwater - reach a volume of water of 521.45 billion cubic meters / year. Key-words: hydrographical basin, IalomiŃa, water resources, hydrostructures, surface water, groundwater. 1 Geographic Setting and take the form of various hydrostructures. The basin area of upper IalomiŃa is 686 km2, which represents 6.62% of the total basin area of 3 Alpine Hydrostructures 10,350 km2. Ialomita River, originating in the The hydrostructure of Bucegi Massif. Bucegi Mountains, at over 2300 m, crosses the According to the position of the permeable rock mountainous and hilly area up to Targoviste, formations in relation to the waterproof formations covering 71 km (17.03% of the total length of 417 in the foundation and to the drainage system, in the km), going down a slope of approx. 2010 m. It Bucegi Massif we can single out three types of presents a coefficient of sinuosity of 1.88 on its hydrostructures (Al. Istrate, 2002): entire course, with values slightly lower in the Karst hydrostructures mountainous and hilly areas (between 11.50). The - Bucegi north hydrostructure and Tatarului density of the hydrographic network is between Gorge-Scropoasa hydrostructure, formed in the 0.1000.260 km/km2. limestone deposits of the Jurassic and of the At the contact between the hills and plains, Cretaceous period, in the superior conglomerates IalomiŃa has an average flow of 7.97 m3 / s (11.61 facies of Bucegi; l/s/km2). -the Lespezi-Orza and Rătei hydrostruc- tures, formed in the Jurassic calcareous stones; 2 Water Resources - RaciuPiscu cu Brazi hydrostructure, Groundwaters constitute an important formed in the calcareous breccias facies of Raciu resource of water, with superior characteristics by and in the superior conglomerate facies of Bucegi; comparison with surface water. They are frequently Hhydrostructures with fissure-triggered used to supply water to population and economic primary and secondary intergranular porosity: units. Groundwater in the Carpathian and sub - the hydrostructure of Bucegi Cuesta Carpathian area belonging to upper IalomiŃa river - the hydrostructure of Brânduei micro basin, is influenced by the geological formations depression; (tectonic, petrographic variety, physical and Hydrostructures with intergranular poro chemical rock properties, thickness of the deposits, sity, delimited within the granular deposits etc.) and so we encounter phreatic and deep water - the hydrostructure of the frontal till from structures. They originate in the ford of the river, the springs of IalomiŃa river; - the hydrostructure of the alluvial plain of ISSN: 1790-5095 84 ISBN: 978-960-474-160-1 WATER AND GEOSCIENCE Ialomita river. between the crystalline foundation of Leaota and the The North Bucegi karst hydrostructure is sedimentary layer belonging to the flysch area and supplied with water by the rain and the snow, by to the superior conglomerates facies of Bucegi. leakage of surface water from the Leaota crystalline The drainage occurs on the southern and and the direct infiltration of rainfall in the superior southwestern slope of ColŃii Dichiului Mount and conglomerates facies of Bucegi. The drainage of this is given by two groups of springs. The first group structure is located in the eastern slope, by the discharges its waters in Ialomita River, and the springs that appear in the alignment Morarului second in Scropoasa Valley. So the flow of this Valley in the north and Pelesului valley in the south, hydrostructure reaches Ialomita river. The water- in the following points: Jepilor valley, Urlătoarea bearing potential of these springs in natural regime Mare valley and Urlătoarea Mică Valley, Babei has a cumulative minimum flow of 220 l/s (95% Valley, Peleş Valley, which amount to a flow of assurance) and a maximum flow ranging around approximately 500 l/s. 8001000 l/s. The flow of these sources is These springs occur at the same altitude as influenced by the water loss of Bolboci lake and the springs of the depression of Padina: the spring could constitute a source of water in the area of upstream of Bears’ Cave (Peştera Urşilor), Horoaba, water deficit situated in the Subcarpathians of Coteanu and Păstrăvăriei springs with water IalomiŃa, between IalomiŃa and Cricovul Dulce. discharges oriented south and southeast. The South of the Scropoasa lake takes shape the hydrostructural water discharge east and southeast is Lespezi-Orzei karst hydrostructure, which is influenced by the tectonics of the area, and by the intersected by IalomiŃa river, up to the crystalline faults oriented east-west or northwest southeast. foundation. At the contact between the crystalline The appearance of the crystalline fundament and the limestone, there are several temporary, small at the surface, due to the erosion of IalomiŃa and of springs. One of them is captured and used to provide its tributaries from the right side (Horoaba and with water the limestone quarry from Lespezi. Coteanu) suggests that this hydrostructure is limited On the level of the depression of Rătei, a southwards. The southern limitation of this karst system develops in the northern slope of Rătei hydrostructure by the structural uplifting of the Valley, a tributary of IalomiŃa River. Following the crystalline foundation could explain the overflow loss of surface water of the valley, through a system nature of the springs on the eastern slope of the of cracks and from the surface waters, theRătei Bucegi massif and even the karst springs of Padina surface hydrostructure has been formed. It presents depression. The existence of the breccias of Raciu in a spring that has been captured since 1910 and used the basis could explain the high water-bearing to supply Targoviste town with water. Rătei Spring potential of this zone. has a flow ranging from 16 l/s to 45 l/s. Currently, there are no systematic In the eastern part of the Bucegi Massif is measurements on the flows of the springs on the located a hydrostructure situated in Raciu syncline, eastern slope of the Bucegi Mountains, which have in which we can distinguish: the depression of Raciu only been estimated at a minimum flow of 225 l/s in the north and the depression Piscu cu Brazi in the and an average flow of 500 l/s. south, extending towards IalomiŃa basin westwards, Horoaba Spring is the most important spring up to Ialomicioara de Sus Valley (Runcu). in the depression of Padina, with flow values In the depression of Raciu there is an initial between 57 l/s and 160 l/s. spring at the contact between the calcareous breccias Coteanu Spring, comes second in the of Raciu and a crystalline plot that appears at the depression of Padina regarding the volume of water, surface on the right side of the IalomiŃa River. This with flow values between 62 l/s and 93 l/s. spring is intermittent, with a flow of 4 l/s and 5 l/s, Downstream of Cheile Mici ale Tătarului, being intersected by the upstream waterway on the right slope, there is Păstrăvăriei Spring, with Dobreşti-Gâlma. On the axis of Raciu syncline, flow values between 19 l/s and 53 l/s. there appear the Gâlma springs, in the left slope of As a result, most of the flow of the North IalomiŃa River, with a flow of 1012 l/s and captured Bucegi hydrostructure is discharged towards in the 1970s to supply with water the town of Prahova Valley and only a part to IalomiŃei Valley. Pucioasa. On the southern flank of this syncline South of Cheile Tătarului is delimited the there are several more small streams, some captured Cheile Tătarului - Scropoasa hydrostructure, which for the Hydroelectric Power Plant Gâlma-Moroeni. overlaps the depressions of Bolboci and Zanoaga. Also in Raciu syncline, there is a second The storage and circulation of the group of springs with a flow of 57 l/s, located on groundwater is generated by the relationship TâŃa Valley, which was captured between 1987 ISSN: 1790-5095 85 ISBN: 978-960-474-160-1 WATER AND GEOSCIENCE 1988, to supply with water the locality of Dealu with the Miocene ones. Their flow rate is Frumos. In the same syncline, there is also a smaller fluctuating, depending on the amount of rainfall in spring on the left of Ialomicioara de Sus Valley, the area. downstream from the confluence with the Vaca In the Neocene deposits formed from an Valley. It has a flow of 34 l/s and was captured in alternation of grit stones, marls, conglomerates and the years 19841985, to supply with water the Sarmatian limestone, there appear water-bearing village of Runcu. horizons which are fed with waters coming from the The hydrostructures with fissure-triggered strata ends or on the fault lines, and, because the primary and secondary intergranular porosity are water passes through salt-yielding and gyps-yielding found in Albian deposits. They generate many clays, there appear springs with low flows and a springs with low flows, such as: high mineralization degree.