How are the water levels in the river changing?

Changes in the water level in rivers are of great importance for the economic activity of the society. And it is important not only for agriculture, but also for hydropower and construction. In Russia , water levels in a river or lake are measured relative to the surface of the Baltic Sea off the coast of Kronstadt. The same technology is used for reservoirs of various types.

Water level in rivers: seasonal fluctuations

The drainage of any river is affected by many factors associated with the region in which the river is located, as well as with seasonal changes that are possible in any climate. If the river flows through different climatic zones, the number of factors contributing to the change in the water level only increases.

The water levels in the river can rise noticeably in different seasons. For example, in a hot period characteristic of arid areas, a river may become scarce or completely dry out, forming the so-called wadi. While during the rainy season, rivers emerge from the shores, creating flood zones that can damage economic objects and infrastructure. The level of water in rivers can also rise in winter, when ice makes water flow difficult.

Anthropogenic factors

The most important and ubiquitous factor affecting how water levels in a river change are the construction of dams and dams for power plants.

The creation of large hydroelectric dam dams significantly changes the natural watercourse. Accordingly, above the dam level rises, which creates a difference in altitude needed to generate electricity.

On the other hand, the construction of barriers along the rivers helps to protect people living along river banks. After all, water rises can be so significant that they damage houses, and sometimes completely destroy settlements.

Controlling the water levels in the river, a person protects his property from the elements, receives electricity, but at the same time causes irreparable damage to nature, causing the death of entire populations of living creatures whose area is in the dam flood zone. Environmentalists regularly raise the issue of the feasibility of building reservoirs around the world.

Despite the fact that the water levels in the river or lake can vary from season to season, from region to region, there is always a certain conventional reference point. In Russia, the point in this frame of reference is the order, located in St. Petersburg.

Summarizing, it is worth saying that many areas of human activity depend on the water content of rivers. But the most sensitive to the regime of watering is, of course, agriculture, which, in turn, directly depends on the survival of people.