Water balance of selected floodplain lake basins in the Middle Bug River valley

Abstract. This study is the first attempt in the literature on the subject of comparing water balance equations for floodplain lake basins depending on the type of connection the lake has to its parent river. Where confluent lakes (upstream connections) were concerned, it was only possible to apply a classic water balance equation. When dealing with contrafluent lakes (downstream connections) as well as lakes with a complex recharge type (contrafluent–confluent) modified equations were created. The hydrological type of a lake is decided by high water flow conditions and, consequently, the duration of potamophase (connection with a river) and limnophase (the isolation of the lake), which determine the values of particular components and the proportion of the vertical to horizontal water exchange rate. Confluent lakes are characterised by the highest proportion of horizontal components (the inflow and runoff of river water) to the vertical ones (precipitation and evaporation). The smallest differences occur with respect to a contrafluent lake. In the case of confluent lakes, the relationship between water balance components resulted from the consequent water flow through the basin, consistent with the slope of the river channel and valley. The supplying channels of contrafluent lakes had an obsequent character, which is why the flow rate was lower. Lakes with a complex, contrafluent–confluent recharge type showed intermediate features. After a period of slow contrafluent recharge, the inflow of water through a downstream crevasse from the area of the headwater of the river was activated; this caused a radical change of flow conditions into confluent ones. The conditions of water retention in lake basins were also varied. Apart from hydrological recharge, also the orographic features of the catchment areas of the lakes played an important role here, for example, the distance from the river channel, the altitude at which a given catchment was located within the floodplain and the complexity of the channels of fluvial-water inflow.