Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Monitoring, assessment and modelling using water quality data in the Saale River Basin, Germany

  • Published:
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) is the overall driver for this environmental study and currently requires the identification of patterns and sources of pollution (monitoring) to support objective ecological sound decision making and specific measures to enhance river water quality (modelling). The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate in a case study the interrelationship between (1) hydrologic and water quality monitoring data for river basin characterization and (2) modelling applications to assess resources management alternatives. The study deals with monitoring assessment and modelling of river water quality data of the main stem Saale River and its principal tributaries. For a period of 6 years the data, which was sampled by Environmental Agencies of the German states of Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, was investigated to assess sources and indicators of pollution. In addition to the assessment a modelling exercise of the routing of different pollutants was carried out in the lower part of the test basin. The modelling is a tool to facilitate the evaluation of alternative measures to reduce contaminant loadings and improve ecological status of a water body as required by WFD. The transport of suspended solids, salts and heavy metals was modelled along a selected Saale reach under strong anthropogenic influence in terms of contaminants and river morphology between the city of Halle and the confluence with the Elbe River. The simulations were carried out with the model WASP5 which is a dynamic flood-routing and water quality model package developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ambrose, R. B., Wool, T. A., & Martin, J.,L. (1993). The water quality simulation program, WASP5: Part A—model documentation. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Athens, GA, http://www.cee.odu.edu/mbin/wasp/dos/wasp5_model.pdf.

  • Baborowski, M., & Bozau, E. (2006). Impact of former mining activities on the uranium distribution in the river Saale (Germany). Applied Geochemistry, 21(6), 1073–1082.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Behrendt, H., Kornmilch, M., Opitz, D., Schmoll, O., & Scholz, G. (2001). Flussgebietsdifferenzierte Nährstoffeinträge im Einzugsgebiet der Saale. In M. Rode, M. K. Henle, & A. Schellenberger (Eds.), Erhalt und Regenerierung der Flußlandschaft Saale (pp. 91–105). Halle (Saale): Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina, ISBN 3-8304-5100-8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kersebaum, K. C., Steidl, J., Bauer, O., & Piorr, H.-P. (2003). Modelling scenarios to assess the effects of different agricultural management and land use options to reduce diffuse nitrogen pollution into the river Elbe. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 28, 537–545.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kronvang, B., Svendsen, L. M., Jensen, J. P., & Dørge, J. (1999). Scenaio analysis of nutrient management at the river basin scale. Hydrobiologia, 410, 207–212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LAWA (2001). German guidance document for the implementation of the EC water framework directive. Länderarbeitsgemeinschaft Wasser. http://www.lawa.de/pub/kostenlos/wrrl/Arbeitshilfe_englisch.pdf.

  • Lindenschmidt, K.-E. (2006a). River water quality modelling for river basin and water resources management with a focus on the Saale River, Germany. Germany: Habilitation, Brandenburg Technical University of Cottbus. http://www.gfz-potsdam.de/bib/pub/digi/lindenschmidt.htm.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindenschmidt, K.-E. (2006b). The effect of complexity on parameter sensitivity and model uncertainty in river water quality modelling. Ecological Modelling, 190(1–2), 72–86.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lindenschmidt, K.-E., Hesse, C., Baborowski, M., & Guhr, H. (2005). Modellierung der anorganischen Schadstoffe in der Unteren Saale. Hydrologie und Wasserbewirtschaftung, 49(3), 118–132.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lindenschmidt, K.-E., Hesser, F., & Rode, M. (2005). Integrating water quality models in the high level architecture (HLA) environment. Advances in Geosciences, 4, 51–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lindenschmidt, K.-E., Schlehf, D., Baborowski, M., & Guhr, H. (2005). Die Auswertung eines Eutrophierungsmodells für die untere Saale. Gas- und Wasserfach: Wasser-Abwasser, 146(3), 190–198.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lindenschmidt, K.-E., Wodrich, R., & Hesse, C. (2006). The effect of scale in modelling inorganic micro-pollutants in the Saale river. Water Quality Research Journal of Canada, 41(1), 24–36.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • MENC (1994). Landschaftsprogramm des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt: Teil2 – Beschreibungen und Leitbilder der Landschaftseinheiten (1st edition). Ministry of the Environment and Nature Conservation of the State of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Dresden: Druckhaus Dessau GmbH.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paulson, A. J. (2001). Biogeochemical removal of Zn and Cd in the Coeur D’Alene River (Idaho, USA), downstream of a mining district. Science of the Total Environment, 278(1–3), 31–44.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schreck, P., Schubert, M., Freyer, K., Treutler, H.-C., & Weiss, H. (2005). Multi-metal contaminated stream sediment in the Mansfeld mining district: metal provenance and source detection. Geochemistry – Exploration, Environment, Analysis, 5(1), 51–57.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Steele, T. D. (1980). Computation of major solute concentrations and loads in German rivers using regression analysis. Catena, 7(2–3), 111–124.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Steele, T. D., & Jennings, M. E. (1972). Regional analysis of streamflow chemical quality in Texas. Water Resources Research, 8(2), 460–477.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vache, K. B., Eilers, J. M., & Santelmann, M. V. (2002). Water quality modelling of alternative agricultural scenarios in the US corn belt. Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 38(3), 773–787.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vetter, M. (2003). Das Schwebstoffdauermessstellennetz an den Bundeswasserstraßen. In Schwebstoffe und Schwebstofftransport in Binnenwasserstraßen. BFG Veranstaltungen 3/2003. Koblenz: Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde.

  • Wennrich, R, Mattusch, J., Morgenstern, P., Freyer, K., Treutler, H.-C., Stärk, H.-J., et al. (2004). Characterization of sediments in an abandoned mining area – A case study of Mansfeld region, Germany. Environmental Geology, 45, 818–833.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • WFD (2000). Water Framework Directive: Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parlament and of the Council, 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy. Official Journal of the European Communities, L 327. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2000/l_327/l_32720001222en00010072.pdf

  • Yu, R.-Q., & Wang, W.-X. (2004). Biological uptake of Cd, Se(IV) and Zn by Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in response to different phosphate and nitrate additions. Aquatic Microbial Ecology, 35, 163–173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Loebdergraben 32, 07743, Jena, Germany

    Klaus Bongartz

  2. TDS Consulting Inc., 595 West Meadow Rd., Evergreen, CO, 80439, USA

    Timothy D. Steele

  3. Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Brückstr. 3a, 39114, Magdeburg, Germany

    Martina Baborowski

  4. GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam, Telegrafenberg, 14473, Potsdam, Germany

    Karl-Erich Lindenschmidt

Authors
  1. Klaus Bongartz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Timothy D. Steele
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Martina Baborowski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Karl-Erich Lindenschmidt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Karl-Erich Lindenschmidt.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bongartz, K., Steele, T.D., Baborowski, M. et al. Monitoring, assessment and modelling using water quality data in the Saale River Basin, Germany. Environ Monit Assess 135, 227–240 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-007-9645-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-007-9645-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation