Penetration of a Wedge of Brackish Water into the Pregolya River as a Reason for Blocking the Water Intakes of Kaliningrad
摘要
Intense surges redistribute water at the mouth of the Pregolya River, and hamper the operation of water intake for Kaliningrad City. Failure to perform water intake during long-term (10–20 days) brackish-water penetration may cause problems with water supply. Data on water supply shutdowns at the water supply station in 2020–2024 as indicators of the penetration range of brackish water wedge upstream demonstrate an increase in the number and duration of such cases from year to year. The results of salinity measurements at a control point in the middle of the river mouth section were compared with data on chlorine concentration at the water intake. The cases of water supply shutdowns for 7–20 days in August and October 2023 were analyzed to assess the conditions for wind impact, water level rise, and the initial position of the breakish water wedge, which facilitate its movement up the river bed to the water intake site. A regression relationship is proposed between the chlorinity values at the water intake and the salinity in the middle of the Pregolya River estuary section, which, as a first approximation, can be used to estimate the chlorinity values at the water intake in the case of brackish water penetration.