Project background
It is often stated that water abstraction for artificial snowmaking has a significant impact on watercourses. Is that really so? What impact do these abstractions have and how can artificial snow affect watercourses and the hydrological balance of watercourses? These are just a few of the questions the project tried to answer.
Project aims
The aim of the project is to analyze the impact of artificial snowmaking on the change of flows in Krkonoše National Park – to analyze the magnitude of this impact and create tools to monitor the impact of artificial snowmaking, and to propose measures that can help address the negative impact of artificial snowmaking on flow rates, both in terms of maintaining optimal conditions for biota development in watercourses and in terms of efficient, equitable, and long-term use of water resources.
Project methodology
A measuring network was created to monitor the impacts of artificial snowmaking on watercourses on 22 profiles in Krkonoše. Within this network, the impact of artificial snowmaking on flow changes was evaluated and the impact was compared with other impacts. In addition to the observation of changes in flow variability in the field, their mathematical modelling was in progress, as well as analysis of other influences that may affect the runoff and hydrological balance of individual river basins. The links to water quality in watercourses and in snow were monitored.
