TOMSK, Jul 18 – RIA Tomsk. Scientists of the Faculty of
Geology and Geography of Tomsk State University (TSU) investigated the Lake
Beloye, and found out that due to human exposure it completely lost the ability
to self-restoration, the press service of the university said on Tuesday.
It is specified that earlier the pond was fed by underground waters, on its
sandy bottom springs spouted. From the lake flowed the river Belaya, which
flowed into Ushayka. At the end of the XVIII century, residents of Tomsk
released water from the reservoir, deepened its basin, surrounded the pond with
a peaty shaft. In the 1970s the bottom was cleared, and the natural springs
that fed the Lake Beloye with groundwater were concreted.
"According to our measurements on the map of 1933, earlier when there was
a low-rise wooden building around the reservoir, the area of the lake's
catchment area was 542,000 square meters. After the construction was replaced
with a multi-storey stone and streets were asphalted, centralized water supply
and sewerage were built, a catchment area was reduced to 16 740 square
meters", – the head of the GGF TSU hydrology department Valery Zemtsov is
quoted.
© РИА Томск. Павел Стефанский
Thus, the asphalting of the coastal territory and its active development
reduced the catchment area by 32 times: the lake lost its ability to
self-repair. Now the reservoir feeds only on account of atmospheric
precipitation. "In the absence of underground water supply and drainage
from it, the water balance of the Lake Beloye become close to zero, which
indicates a critical condition", – is said in the statement.
To prevent further deterioration of the situation, the hydrologists of TSU
recommend to make additional pumping of water from external sources.
"In the warm period, it is possible to prevent oxygen deficiency connected
with the decomposition of vegetation and organic matter coming from the sewage,
by artificial aeration of water. At the same time, it's possible to suspend
degradation of Lake Beloye and to improve the quality of water by the settling
of aquatic organisms, including aquatic vegetation", – the press-service
informs.