Morphometric, hydrological characteristics and genesis of the largest lakes of the right-bank floodplain of the Volga River in the territory of the projected natural park “Artemovsky Meadows” (Nizhny Novgorod region, Russia)

Abstract

The article presents the results of the research of the morphometric and hydrological features of the largest lakes in the territory of the projected natural park “Artemovsky meadows”. The researched territory is located in the central part of the Nizhny Novgorod region in the immediate vicinity of the city of Nizhny Novgorod on the right-bank floodplain of the Volga River. Lakes are the landscape-forming framework of this territory. To date, reliable data, reflecting the features of the relief of the lakes bottoms and their hydrological characteristics have not been available. In the course of the research a bathymetric survey was carried out on the lakes of the researched territory from the side of a boat, using an echo sounder, combined with a navigator. The results of field research were processed, using the geoinformation program QGIS, digital models of the relief of the basins of the researched lakes were created and their main morphometric and hydrological characteristics were calculated. Based on the analysis of morphometric characteristics of lakes and data on the landscape features of their surroundings, conclusions were drawn about the origin of lake basins. It is established, that the largest lakes of the Artemovsky meadows have a riverbed (ox-bow) origin.