Water Quality Analysis of the Vltava River – Batuhan Ata Deniz

Abstract:

To determine how water quality in the Vltava River was affected by natural and anthropogenic factors, coupled with water management policies, multi-decadal water quality trends were investigated. Long‐term data spanning from the 1960s to 2023 were compiled and analyzed using appropriate statistical tests to identify temporal trends, while correlation analyses were conducted among water quality parameters and between these parameters and natural factors—such as precipitation and ambient temperature—so that the interconnectedness of these variables could be highlighted. GIS mapping was employed to visualize potential hotspots in relation to watershed boundaries, land use patterns, and river impoundments. It was revealed that water quality parameters were significantly reduced at most sampling points, a trend that was found to be aligned with documented policy shifts, land use changes, and the effects of impoundments. An anomaly at the Nové Spolí sampling location was indicated, and it was suggested that the wastewater treatment facilities in that watershed were insufficient. The findings of this study were considered to broaden the understanding of how water quality was impacted by different variables over time and were deemed to provide new insights for improving water management …víceméně