The Tisza River: Managing a Lowland River in the Carpathian Basin

Abstract

At 156,000 km 2 the Tisza river is one of the largest tributaries of the Danube river. Historically, almost the entire Tisza river basin (TRB) was under one administration (the Austro-Hungarian Empire), but management has become far more complex after World War I, when the basin was split among five newly formed countries (Hungary, (Czecho)Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania and Serbia). The river exhibits extreme dynamics due to its particular geomorphology: a very short, steep fall from the Carpathian mountains suddenly turns into the very flat lowland expanse of the Hungarian Great Plain. The arc-like shape of mountains around the basin amplifies the flood peak by causing stormwater received from the tributaries to converge on the main river channel in near unison. The resulting impoundment of high water in the main bed backs water up into the tributaries, threatening the neighbouring floodplain communities. The mountains receive 3-4 times the amount of precipitation that falls on the plains (2000 vs. 600 mm/year). These combined factors make the Tisza naturally "flashy," with flow rates varying by a factor of 50 or more, accompanied by sudden (in 24-36 h) and extreme (up to 12 m) rises in river stage (Lóczy 2010).Increasing variation in nature (climate) and accelerating socio-economic processes in society (urbanisation, agriculture) challenge all aspects of water management. Rising trends in precipitation extremes have increased the dramatic variations in flows: 100-fold differences between the highest and the lowest stage often occur, and the stage can rise as much as 4 m within 24 h (Bodnár 2009). Additionally, the temporal pattern of the flow regime increasingly varies across the seasons. Spring tides issue from snow melt in the high mountains, while the summer flood is usually

Influence of 200 years of water resource management on a typical central European river. Does industrialization straighten a river?

“…In particular, the development of automated production and the steel industry has caused a higher demand for hydroelectric power, process water and transportation routes provided by waterways [22][23][24][25]. In the late-nineteenth century, the Industrial Revolution led to changes in river morphology throughout Europe [26,27]. The alpine Rhone, Isar and Danube Rivers, for example, were channelized in the mid-to late-nineteenth century, causing braided structures and large gravel bars to form [28].…”

“…The alpine Rhone, Isar and Danube Rivers, for example, were channelized in the mid-to late-nineteenth century, causing braided structures and large gravel bars to form [28]. The Tisza River in Ukraine and Hungary has shortened by approximately 30% through river training [26]. Therefore, the increased use of fossil energy from 1950 onwards can be linked to rapid river degradation and river pollution in the Western World [27,[29][30][31].…”

Extreme low flow change analysis on the Tysa River within Ukraine

“…The right bank tributaries of the Tysa River are located the southern slope of the Ukrainian Carpathians. The average altitudes of mountainous catchments are 800-1 200 m, and the average slopes are 200-400 m/km (Borsos and Sendzimir, 2018;Zabolotnia et al, 2019). In the Upper part river shows a high flow rate and low turbidity.…”

Influence of 200 years of water resource management on a typical central European river Does industrialization straighten a river?

“…In particular, the development of automated production and the steel industry has caused a higher demand for hydroelectric power, process water and transportation routes provided by waterways [22][23][24][25]. In the late 19 th century, the Industrial Revolution led to changes in river morphology throughout Europe [26,27]. The alpine Rhone, Isar and Danube Rivers, for example, were channelized in the mid-to late-19 th century, causing braided structures and large gravel bars to form [28].…”

“…The alpine Rhone, Isar and Danube Rivers, for example, were channelized in the mid-to late-19 th century, causing braided structures and large gravel bars to form [28]. The Tisza River in Ukraine and Hungary has shortened by approximately 30% through river training [26]. Therefore, the increased use of fossil energy from 1950 onwards can be linked to rapid river degradation and river pollution in the Western World [27,[29][30][31].…”