Anthropogenic impact on the groundwater regime: Case study of the Velika Morava alluvium

Abstract

The Velika Morava River originates at the junction of the Južna Morava and Zapadna Morava at the town of Stalać in Serbia. It is 185 km long and empties into the Danube. The Velika Morava River Basin occupies a land area of 37 444 km2. The river flows through central Serbia, which features the most fertile land and the highest population density in the country. Public water supply in this region of Serbia relies on groundwater formed in alluvial sediments of the Velika Morava. Both industry and agriculture are well developed. There is intensive sand and gravel mining along the riverbanks, which has deepened the river channel by as much as 4 m and lowered water surface elevations at Ljubičevski Most. Given that, there is a hydraulic connection between groundwater and the Velika Morava, water levels in wells have also declined. The paper analyzes the elevations of the Velika Morava’s water surface and the water table.