Potential geo-ecological impacts of the proposed Danube-Oder-Elbe Canal on alluvial landscapes in the Czech Republic

Abstract

The project of a canal connecting the three major Central European Rivers: the Danube, Oder and Elbe, is incorporated into a planned trans-European transport network system. Geographically, the course of the planned canal stretches into the territory of four Central European countries, predominantly that of the Czech Republic. The environmental impacts of the potential construction and operation of the Danube-Oder-Elbe (DOE) Canal is currently widely discussed by experts from various fields. This paper aims to assess some potential impacts of the canal on the alluvial landscapes in the Czech Republic. The method of geo-ecological assessment presented here applies GIS analyses at the larger landscape scale. The results of the geo-ecological assessment of potential impacts of the DOE Canal on the land-use of river floodplains, the fluvial dynamics of streams and the extent of their alluvial plains, and the quantified DOE Canal impact on protected areas and groundwater sources, are presented. The hydrological impact of the DOE Canal will affect a total of 1,975.4 km2 of river basins in the Czech Republic. The DOE Canal will affect 157 sites significant from the perspective of landscape and nature conservation, 7 nature parks and 113 existing water points which are used as groundwater sources. The results show that the most significant disruption of fluvial dynamics of the stream sediment regime would occur in the Protected Landscape Area of Litovelské Pomoraví. In general, the geo-ecological impact of the DOE Canal on the landscape will be very important.