Regulation and Utilization of Flood Water of Karst Polje - Example of Gatačko polje, Eastern Herzegovina

Abstract

In general, karst is known as extreme environment for construction of large structures. The average precipitation of karst poljes at Dinaric region of the Eastern Herzegovina for a wet year is about 2450 mm. Daily precipitation can be more than 250 mm. Due to prevailing underground drainage and limited dewatering capacity of ponors the floods are frequent. Only agricultural land is in the karst poljes, which remain flooded from 150 to 250 days in average per year. The population remains low as these difficult living conditions have driven people out of this region for many decades. Possibilities for socio-economic developments are poor. One of these poljes the Gatačko Polje is situated at the highest elevation of the Eastern Herzegovina. Uneven water regime of polje is typical for regions with deep and high developed karst. Sometimes floods are disastrous particularly for infrastructure. To change inconvenient natural water regime a few possible options are analyzed. In article are presented, in very general, properties of natural regime of the Gatačko Polje, including some hydrological and hydrogeological specificities. Many decades behind two mutually coupled questions were analyzed: possibility to transfer the part water from the Gatačko Polje catchment to be used at the Multipurpose Hydrosystem Trebišnjica for power production, irrigation, water supply and other secondary benefits, and at the same time, to protect infrastructure, particularly to prevent disastrous effect on the Thermal Power Plant.