The muddy bottom sediments of the old river beds of the lower Vistula

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to characterize the muddy bottom sediments of three hydrologically different old river beds of the lower Vistula, located in the vicinity of Toruń: Port Drzewny, Martwa Wisła and Przybysz. Samples were taken at monthly intervals from April to November 2015 from two (Martwa Wisła and Przybysz) or three sampling sites (Port Drzewny) located in the central parts of the reservoirs. The bottom sediments of these water bodies were characterized by a low water content and organic matter content expressed as a percentage of dry weight, high organic matter content expressed in units of weight, as well as a high sediment oxygen demand. The most distinct reservoir was Martwa Wisła, most likely due to the lack of a connection with the River Vistula.