<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Water retention in the landscape is discussed in the context of conservation and improvement of both its productive and non-productive functions. We analysed the retention potential of a small agricultural catchment associated with the Bílý potok brook, investigating the possibility to improve its retention capacity and slow down the surface runoff, thus increasing the underground water resources. Method of curve numbers was used for that purposes. From results, it emerged that present maximum water retention in the Bílý potok catchment is 96.2 mm. It could increase by 101.3 mm in case of grassing about 20% arable land threatened by soil erosion. As next possibility to retain water from precipitations in landscape, capacity and transformation effect of reservoirs designed in master plans was analysed. The latest programming tools working in the GIS environment were used to assess the retention capacity of both the catchment surface and the reservoirs. Analysing master plans in the catchment, it was found that 16 designed water reservoirs (from 31) have a good potential to intercept water and transform flood discharges. In the result, priority for building of reservoirs was recommended according to their pertinence and efficiency in the studied catchment. Presented complex approach can be widely implemented, especially for better effectivity and cohesion of landscape planning and land consolidations processes.</p></abstract>

Water retention in the landscape is discussed in the context of conservation and improvement of both its productive and non-productive functions. We analysed the retention potential of a small agricultural catchment associated with the Bílý potok brook, investigating the possibility to improve its retention capacity and slow down the surface runoff, thus increasing the underground water resources. Method of curve numbers was used for that purposes. From results, it emerged that present maximum water retention in the Bílý potok catchment is 96.2 mm. It could increase by 101.3 mm in case of grassing about 20% arable land threatened by soil erosion. As next possibility to retain water from precipitations in landscape, capacity and transformation effect of reservoirs designed in master plans was analysed. The latest programming tools working in the GIS environment were used to assess the retention capacity of both the catchment surface and the reservoirs. Analysing master plans in the catchment, it was found that 16 designed water reservoirs (from 31) have a good potential to intercept water and transform flood discharges. In the result, priority for building of reservoirs was recommended according to their pertinence and efficiency in the studied catchment. Presented complex approach can be widely implemented, especially for better effectivity and cohesion of landscape planning and land consolidations processes.

Water Retention in a Small Agricultural Catchment and its Potential Improvement by Design of Water Reservoirs – A Case Study of the Bílý Potok Catchment (Czechia)

Research Institute for Soil and Water Conservation, Department of Land Use Planning

European Countryside

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Water retention in the landscape is discussed in the context of conservation and improvement of both its productive and non-productive functions. We analysed...

Water Retention in a Small Agricultural Catchment and its Potential Improvement by Design of Water Reservoirs – A Case Study of the Bílý Potok Catchment (Czechia)

Published Online: Apr 04, 2018

Page range: 1 - 22

Received: May 11, 2017

Accepted: Dec 14, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/euco-2018-0001

Keywords
Retention reservoirs, land development plan, water retention, drought, floods

© 2018 Petr Doležal et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Water Retention in a Small Agricultural Catchment and its Potential Improvement by Design of Water Reservoirs – A Case Study of the Bílý Potok Catchment (Czechia)

Published Online: Apr 04, 2018

Page range: 1 - 22

Received: May 11, 2017

Accepted: Dec 14, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/euco-2018-0001

KeywordsRetention reservoirs, land development plan, water retention, drought, floods

© 2018 Petr Doležal et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
Retention reservoirs, land development plan, water retention, drought, floods