Changes in Hydrologic Conditions Resulting from Embankment Formation –
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Zmiany warunków hydrologicznych wynikające z tworzenia nasypów – przegląd przypadków
Changes in Hydrologic Conditions Resulting from Embankment Formation – Case Study Review

Author(s): Bartłomiej Rzonca, Karolina Mostowik
Subject(s): Geography, Regional studies, Environmental Geography
Published by: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Marii Curie-Sklodowskiej
Keywords: hydrologic conditions; changes in hydrologic conditions; embankment; impact of embankments

Summary/Abstract: The article discusses typical examples of the impact of embankments on the surrounding water conditions. The studied cases illustrate the two most common groups of changes in hydrological conditions related to the formation of embankments. One such change is the raising of the groundwater table under the embankment, which usually leads to high level of moisture in the immediate vicinity of the embankment. Three cases were discussed in this group. One is a typical impact of a large embankment that has caused a signifi cant increase in soil moisture nearby. The second example is a situation where the terrain lying between the embankments is strongly damp. The third example is a plot of land which, despite its particularly unfavourable location – surrounded on three sides by embankments – has not been damp due to the unusually high permeability of the ground. The second group of changes consists of various modifi cations of surface runoff conditions. Some embankments – made of impermeable materials – increase surface runoff by blocking the infi ltration of rainwater. Other embankments redirect or block surface runoff , causing the formation of landlocked area. In addition, an analysis of one reported case has revealed the eff ects of backfi lling a large gorge, which had signifi cantly increased the surface catchment area, which in turn resulted in a signifi cant increase in surface runoff . The case of building embankments on a river fl oodplain was also discussed. The article shows that similar nature of changes in topography may cause diff erent hydrological eff ects depending on the permeability and retention capacity of the ground.

  • Issue Year: 76/2021
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 71-94
  • Page Count: 24
  • Language: Polish