A Methodological Aspects of Monitoring Springs in the Conditions of the Ukrainian Carpathians

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to generalize methodological approaches to monitoring springs in the territory of the Carpathian National Natural Park and to identify the main hydrological and hydrochemical laws of their functioning. We conducted research of springs outlined outside the Carpathian National Natural Park (CNNP) – the first (1980) and one of the largest (504.95 km2) nature parks in Ukraine, located in the territory of Ivano-Frankivsk region. The office is located in Yaremche, Ivano-Frankivsk region. Inventory and accounting of springs is included in the plan of annual nature conservation activities held in the park. In 2019, after the grant of two wetlands in the Carpathian National Park (Prut and Pogorelets) international status and their inclusion in the list of wetlands protected by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Imports of International Imports especially as Waterfowl Habitat, 1971 – the study of environmental components, including springs, becomes more relevant and practical.There are all the necessary conditions for a comprehensive study of natural groundwater output to the surface – scientific, logistical and informational base. For the period 2011-2019 about 40 expeditions were conducted to study the springs located in three main natural complexes on the territory of the Carpathian NNP: the Outer Gorgany, the Yasinsky-Verkhovynsky intermountain basin, the Chernogora massif. In the hydrological aspect, it is a Prut river basin (left tributary of the Danube). The main methodological approaches for monitoring springs were developed and consistently implemented. The general monitoring algorithm, which is considered in the article, can be presented in the form of a flowchart with successive steps: 1) collecting available information about the springs 2) field surveys of the first level (description of the springs and their mapping) 3) field surveys of the second level (measuring flow rates and water sampling); 4) regular observations on reference springs. The water mineralization of most springs in the Carpathian NPP (about 90%) is in the range of “very fresh” and “normally fresh” – 30-500 mg/dm3 (according to the classification of Valentyn Khilchevskyi). There are springs with very low salt content – “extremely fresh” (10-30 mg/dm3), and sometimes “super fresh” with a salinity of less than 10 mg/dm3. Such a low level of spring water mineralization corresponds to the norms of the regional natural background of the salt content in unpolluted atmospheric precipitation.