HYDROLOGICAL REGIME OF THE PRUT RIVER ON THE ROMANIAN TERRITORY

Abstract

The Prut River is the second Danube tributary in terms of length and the second most important river in the region of Moldavia (Romania). It represents the State border between Ukraine, Romania, and the Republic of Moldova. The Stânca-Costești reservoir plays a very important role in the mitigation of downstream discharges. At the Gauging Station of Oroftiana, (at the Prut entry on the Romanian territory) a 70 m3/s mean multiannual discharge is recorded, while at the Gauging Station of Oancea, (where it discharges into the Danube) the mean multiannual discharge is 95 m3/s. The ratio of the mean multiannual discharge between the stations of Oroftiana and Oancea is relatively low. Therefore, tributaries on the territory of Romania and the Republic of Moldova hold low discharges (25-30 m3/s). The maximum mean multiannual discharge was recorded at the Gauging Station of Prisacani (106 m3/s). Lower downstream values are due to water losses recorded in the wide Prut floodplain and to the use of a portion of this water for irrigations. The year with the lowest mean multiannual discharges is 1987, while the one with the maximum mean multiannual discharges is 2010. The ratio between minimum and maximum mean annual discharges is relatively low. This study underlines the rapport between minimum and maximum mean annual discharges and the ratio between mean multiannual discharges for each gauging station on the Prut River.