Human interventions and related

impacts in the Danube Delta

Adrian Stanica, Gheorghe Oaie, Silviu

Radan

National Institute of Marine Geology and

Geoecology – GEOECOMAR,

Bucharest, Romania

Natural evolution of the Danube

Delta

The Danube

Delta evolution

Evolution of the Evolution of the

coastline during coastline during

the last 12,000 yearsthe last 12,000 years

((PaninPanin, 1997, 1998, , 1997, 1998,

1999)1999)

ArealAreal distribution distribution of the main types of the main types of deposits in the of deposits in the Danube DeltaDanube Delta1. 1. Marine littoral deposits: Marine littoral deposits:

a, type a, type ““aa”” -- ofof littoral drift littoral drift

from the from the Ukrainian riversUkrainian rivers; ;

b, type b, type ““bb””-- of of DanubianDanubian

origin; origin;

c, littoral diffusionc, littoral diffusion ((mixmixeded

““aa”” and and ““bb”” typestypes)); ;

2. 2. LacustrineLacustrine littoral deposits; littoral deposits;

3. Fluvial deposits: 3. Fluvial deposits:

a, meander belt deposits; a, meander belt deposits;

b, interdistributary depression b, interdistributary depression

deposits; deposits;

4. L4. Lœœssss--like deposits; like deposits;

L L -- longshore sediment drift; longshore sediment drift;

D D -- main sediment supplies.main sediment supplies.

The Danube

Delta evolution

Evolution of the Evolution of the

coastline during coastline during

the last 12,000 yearsthe last 12,000 years((PaninPanin, 1997, 1998, 1999), 1997, 1998, 1999)

1.1. Initial spit: 11.7 Initial spit: 11.7 –– 7.5 K yr. BP7.5 K yr. BP

2.2. St. George I Delta: 9.0 St. George I Delta: 9.0 –– 7.2 K 7.2 K yr. BPyr. BP

3.3. Sulina Delta: 7.2 Sulina Delta: 7.2 –– 2.0 K yr. 2.0 K yr. BPBP

4.4. Coastline position at ~ 100 yr. Coastline position at ~ 100 yr. ADAD

5.5. St. George II Delta and Kilia St. George II Delta and Kilia Delta: 2.8 K yr.BP Delta: 2.8 K yr.BP –– PresentPresent

6.6. Cosna Cosna –– Sinoie Delta: 3.5 Sinoie Delta: 3.5 –– 1.5 1.5 K yr. BPK yr. BP

Danube Delta

Lobes Volumes

LLoobbee nnaammee//ttiimmee

ooff ddeevveellooppmmeenntt TToottaall vvoolluummee ooff

ddeeppoossiittss ((mm33))

RRaattee ooff ddeeppoossiittiioonn

DDaannuubbiiaann sseeddiimm..

((mm33//yyrr))

SStt..GGeeoorrggee II//

22220000 yyrr.. 22,,110055,,334422,,992233 338833,,006633

SSuulliinnaa//

44550000 yyrr.. 99,,223366,,885577,,441133 11,,665533,,115500

SStt.. GGeeoorrggee IIII//

22880000 yyrr.. 55,,229944,,447755,,440011 11,,443366,,888844

KKiilliiaa// 22550000 yyrr.. 33,,998822,,773377,,448899 11,,559933,,009955

TToottaall,, wwiitthhoouutt

CCoossnnaa--SSiinnooiiee 2200,,661199,,441133,,222266

8-9 m/yr1 to 3~ 2800 - presentSt. George II Delta

8-10 m/yr1 to 192500 - presentKilia Delta

13500 – 1500Cosna - Sinoie Delta

2~ 2800 – 2000Sulina Delta - phase 4

5~ 4900Sulina Delta - phase 3

3~ 6000Sulina Delta - phase 2

17200Sulina Delta - phase 1

6-9 m/yr1 – 5~7200 - 2 000Sulina

3-5 m/yr1~9000 – 7200St.George I Delta

2-311,700 – 7200Blocked Delta

111,700 - 7200Initial Spit

ProgradRate

Number channels

Absolute dating years BPMain lobe name

Human interventions affecting the

Danube Delta

Iron Gate 1

Iron Gate 2

After 1970, following the building of Iron Gates I

dam (942.95 km from the Black Sea) and the

hydrotechnical works along the Danube tributaries,

the sediment discharge decreased by

approximately 10-20%.

In 1983, the second barrage, at Ostrovul Mare

(864 km), was built up and this new closing of the

Danube induced a really catastrophic decrease in

the sediment discharge: in all the stations the

measured sediment discharge dropped by 35-50

% compared to the mean value of pre-damming

sediment flux regime.

Decreasing of the River Danube Decreasing of the River Danube

sediment discharge after dammingsediment discharge after damming

Danube Sediment Discharge at Vadu Oii hydrographic station - Km.247 (1961-1996)

y = 54.285x - 105108

R2 = 0.1492

y = -25.563x + 51386

R2 = 0.2977

y = -28.831x + 57755

R2 = 0.4908

y = 0.0897x3 - 532.18x2 + 1E+06x - 7E+08

R2 = 0.7382

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

Years

Sed

ime

nt

Dis

ch

arg

e R

s (

Kg

/s) Ir

on G

ate

s I

Iron G

ate

s II

From Panin, Jipa, 1997

Upstream half of the"Big M" meander 9.21898 - 1902IX

The "Ilgani" meander bend1.71897 - 1898VIII

The "Maliuc" meander bend5.51894 - 1897VII

Downstream half of the "Big M" meander 9.71890 - 1893VI

Miles 28 – 302.11886 - 1889V

Miles 32 – 332.01885 - 1886IV

The "Pãpãdia" meander bend0.91883 - 1884III

Ceatal St. George1.01880 - 1882II

The “Little M" meander bend, "Mila 23"0.61868 - 1869I

Channel locationLength of cut-

off channel (Km)

PeriodOrder of digging

channels

The Sulina distributary meander belts cutThe Sulina distributary meander belts cut--offs (EDC, 1868 offs (EDC, 1868 –– 1902)1902)

St.George cutSt.George cut--off off

channels (channels (DunavatDunavat

meander belt)meander belt)

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

1820 1840 1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

Years

Co

eff

icie

nt

of

rep

art

itio

n

Kilia

St. George

Sulina

Changes in the suspended load distribution among the main Changes in the suspended load distribution among the main

Danube Delta distributaries at the mouth zones for the Danube Delta distributaries at the mouth zones for the

18401840--2003 period2003 period

After Bondar, 2003

Embankment of the floodplain upstream the Danube

Delta

Jiu

Olt

Arges

Ialomita

Calmatui

Siret

<1960

1960-1965

1965-1970

>1970

Damming period

Iron Gate II

Iron Gate I

Catch sizes in the Romanian Danube Delta and

adjacent lakes

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

19

48

19

50

19

52

19

54

19

56

19

58

19

60

19

61

19

64

19

66

19

68

19

70

19

72

19

74

ton

s Cyprinus Carpio

Total

Damming floodplain area of the

Danube river

0

100

200

300

400

500

1949 1952 1956 1960 1962 1966 1975

x1,000 ha

(Source: Min. of the Environment)

SULINA JETTIESSULINA JETTIES

Between the second half of the Between the second half of the

XIXXIX--thth Century (first plan for Century (first plan for

the Sulina Navigation Canal the Sulina Navigation Canal ––

Sir Charles Hartley) and mid Sir Charles Hartley) and mid

1900`s, the Sulina mouth was 1900`s, the Sulina mouth was

protected by 2 parallel jetties, protected by 2 parallel jetties,

which were extended in which were extended in

several steps, up to the several steps, up to the

presentpresent--day dimensions (8 day dimensions (8

kmskms. offshore) . offshore)

Sulina Jetties

Late XIXth CenturyNew lighthouse and jetties

Human interventions within the

Danube DeltaThese can be divided into:

• a) The so called “reed period” (1960-1970 ): changes in the natural circulation pattern by digging canals;,

• b) The “fish-period”: 1970 – 1980: changes in land uses : creation of large fish ponds;

• c) The “agriculture period” (1980 – 1990): transforming wetlands into agricultural polders (more than 35,000 ha).

• d) “Back to nature” – restoration policies (after 1990 – present time). Renaturation of polders, blocking of human – made canals)

Danube Delta changes

generated by humans

(only for Romanian Territory)

a = “pristine” phase (1880)

b = Reclaimed land for agriculture, fish

culture and forestry (1890 –1989) and

location of artificial canals

c = restoration activities since 1994

including re-opening of polders and

blocking of man-made canals(images and text from Buijse et al., 2002)

Damming and channel excavations

Danube

Legend

1903-1916

1952-1960> 1960

1941-19511930-1940

1880-1902

Excavation periodLegend

1960-1970

1971-1980

1981-1989

Building period

Danube

(Source:

Min. of the

Environment)

BY

POLLUTION

AND

HABITAT

ALTERATIONS

DREDGING CHANNELS

HABITAT

REDUCTIONS

BY

AND

BUILDING BARRAGES

AT KM 942 AND KM 863

FROM RIVER MOUTHS

DAMMING

UPSTREAM FLOODPLAIN

AND 22% OF THE DELTA

B l a c k S e a

A

TULCEA

Phosphorous: 45.000-60.000 t/year

Oil: 45.000-50.000 t/year

DANUBE

Pollution

LEGEND

Damming (22%)

New channels

(Source: Min. of the Environment)

Back to Nature (after 1989)

DANUBE DELTA

BIOSPHERE

RESERVE

Total surface: 580,000 ha

Strictly protected

areas: 50,600 ha

Buffer zones: 223,300 ha

Economic zones 306,100 ha

• ecological

restoration: 11,425 ha

• agriculture

polders 39,974 ha

• fish ponds: 39,567 ha

• forests: 6,442 ha

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

• Convention on Wetlands of International

Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat

(Ramsar, 1971)

• Bern Convention on Protection of European Wild

Flora and Fauna and Natural Habitats (Bern,

1979)

• Convention on Protection of Migratory Species of

Wild Animals (Bonn, 1979)

• Convention on Biological Diversity (Rio de

Janeiro, 1992)

• Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea

Against Pollution (Bucharest 1992)

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

• Convention on the protection the world natural and

cultural heritage.

• The UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme

• Convention concerning the international trade with

endangered flora and fauna species – CITES

(Washington, 1973)

• Agreement between Ministers of Ecology of

Romania, Ukraine and Moldova on Trans-

boundary Co-operation in the Protected Areas of

the Danube Delta and Lower Prut (Bucharest,

2000)

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

• European Framework Directive 79/409/EEC/1979,

concerning the protection of birds

• European Framework Directive 92/43/EEC/1992,

conserning the protection of habitats The

UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme

• Convention concerning the international trade with

endangered flora and fauna species – CITES

(Washington, 1973)

� In 1994 Babina (2,100 ha),

- agricultural polder -

� in 1996 Cernovca(1,580 ha)

- agricultural polder -

� in 2000 Popina(3,600 ha)

- fishpond -

� in 2002 Fortuna (2,115 ha) -

- agricultural polder -

Prospective areas to be restored

� Holbina - Dunavat(5,630 ha)

- fishponds -

Implemented and ongoing Restoration

Works in the Danube Delta

TOTAL: 15,025 ha

The Danube Delta

Sector monitoring

stations

DANUBE

DELTA AREA

Local sources

of anthropic

activities

NAEP Report on the

state of the Environment

Danube Delta

Dispersal of trace metals in water:

Fe and Cr – increase in areas controlled by riverine

inputs

Mn, Zn, Pb – irregular distribution

Mn, Zn and Cu decrease from the fluvial delta plain to

the marine delta plain

Razelm – Sinoie Lagoon Complex:

As and Mn - lower concentrations than in the deltaic

lakes

Cr, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn - more abundant, can manifest

increasing trends from north to south

Variation of heavy metals concentrations along the

Danube Delta distributaries – Chilia, Sulina and St. George

0.00

10.00

20.00

30.00

40.00

50.00

60.00

M i l a

4 3 , 5 0 0

K m 1 1 5

b r a t

C h i l i a

k m 4 3

b r a t

C h i l i a

k m 2 0

b r a t

C h i l i a

k m 3

S t a mb .

V e c h i

M i l a 3 4 K m 1 0 7 . 7

b r a t S f .

G h e o r g h e

K m 1 . 3

b r a t Sf .

G h e o r g h e

M i l a 3 4 M i l a

3 3 , 4 0 0

S u l i n a

H m 7 2

S u l i n a

Variata continutului de Cu ( µg/g) pe bratele Dunãrii

0.000

0.100

0.200

0.300

0.400

0.500

0.600

0.700

0.800

M i l a

4 3 , 5 0 0

K m 1 1 5

b r a t

C h i l i a

k m 4 3

b r a t

C h i l i a

k m 2 0

b r a t

C h i l i a

k m 3

St a mb .

V e c h i

M i l a 3 4 K m 1 0 7 . 7

b r a t S f .

G h e o r g h e

K m 1 . 3

b r a t S f .

G h e o r g h e

M i l a 3 4 M i l a

3 3 , 4 0 0

Su l i n a

H m 7 2

Su l i n a

Variata continutului de Cd (µg/g) pe bratele Dunãrii

Cu contents in sediments in the Danube Delta arms

Cd contents in sediments in

the Danube Delta arms

Maps of sediment quality in Mesteru-Fortuna

and Matita-Merhei depressions (Cd and Cr)

Pollutant contents in bottom sediments of the

River Danube in front of the Black Sea basin

Sulina

Sf. Gheorghe

Musura

Black Sea

Km 3 – Stambulul Vechi section - Chilia branch

Cu (µg/g) 75.19; Zn (µg/g) 147.5; Cr (µg/g) 118;

Cd (µg/g) 1.67.

Hm 72 Sulina section

Cu (µg/g) 55.89; Pb (µg/g) 32.67; Zn

(µg/g) 117; Cr (µg/g) 92; Cd (µg/g) 0.751

Km 1.3 St. George section

Cd (µg/g) 0.321

Hm 72

Km 3

Km 1.3

Heavy metals and other trace elements -

Conclusions

-Lakes from River Danube influenced areas:generally high contents in almost all trace elements; suspect

situations for As, Cr, Ni, Mn - adsorbed on clay minerals and

Fe-oxides and hydroxides

- Confined lakes: lower contents; enrichment tendency in Ni, Cr, Mn, Pb - affinity for organic matter and/or atmospheric

inputs (Pb)

- Distribution patterns: gradual increase from north to south within Razim-Sinoie Lagoonal Complex (Ni, Cr, Zn, Cu,

Cd); influences of differential transport and sedimentation,

leaching of the tailing dumps of the flotation plant from Baia,

atmospheric inputs

Conclusion: not polluted sediments; slight local tendencies

Greenhouse

gas fluxes

distribution in

the Lake

Razelm

(nmol/m2s)CO2

CH4

N2O