Lviv Reservoirs: Current Geo-Ecological Status and Opportunities for its Improvement

Abstract

Purpose of the work is to characterize the geo-ecological condition of the reservoirs in Lviv in order to develop recommendations for the protection, conservation and enhancement of their functional use.Methods. Field, cartographic, historical, analysis and synthesis.Results. The geo-ecological state of modern reservoirs of Lviv has been investigated. Water pollution of represented reservoirs has been analyzed according to the fund and statistical materials. In the course of the field researches the physical parameters of the water condition have been analyzed, sources of pollution of reservoirs, clogging and overall assessment of coastal water protection strip shave been identified. Most of the reservoirs of Lviv are characterized by littering of the coastal strip, recreational impact, proximity to roads and residential buildings. The color of the water in the majority of the reservoirs is grayish-yellow, the transparency of the water is low, the smell is marsh or earthy-grassy. Ten of the twenty-three reservoirs under study have strong and over Lviv reservoirs is natural. This contributes to the additional intake of pollutants from the catchment area. Ponds where the basin is covered with an artificial surface (mainly concrete) have better water quality. In particular, Levandivskyi has become the only one to have clean water at the beginning of 2019. In recent years, the water reservoirs of the city have been significantly shallow, due to the construction of catchment areas and the discharge of rainwater to the general sewer. Reservoirs near leased restaurants and recreational facilities are in the best condition. The ponds located in park areas (Stryiskyipark, Pohulianka, Shevchenko-ethnopark., Piskovi Ozera) are in a satisfactory geo-ecological state. The most neglected are the reservoirs of former industrial enterprises, which are under control of district administrations.Conclusions. Irrational use of city reservoirs leads to water pollution, siltation and overgrowth of urban reservoirs, rapid eutrophication, clogging, etc. Taking into consideration the multifunctional importance of reservoirs for the city, recommendations have been developed to improve their geo-ecological state, mainly they are organizational (monitoring the status of reservoirs, introduction of ecological passport of the reservoir, increasing control), technical (separation of rain and municipal sewage, technical care), educational (stands, eco-actions, festivals) measures.