Need for system of protection against floods and high waters in mountain and foothill rivers of the Caucasus

Abstract

The article presents findings on the estimation of fast-forming floods parameters and hydrological forecasts for short-term changes in water content in the foothill and mountain rivers of southern Russia as exemplified by the Krasnodar Krai. The research aims to provide economic facilities and population with better protection against rapidly forming mixed-origin floods. The need to develop a system of protection against floods and high waters on the mountain and foothill rivers of the Caucasus are considered. The floods in the Tuapse region in October 2010, Krymsk in July 2012, Novomikhaylovsky in August 2012 are taken as an example. The causes of floods and high waters on rivers are different. Precipitation is the main and dominant source of floods and high waters (exclusive of natural and anthropogenic discharge breakthrough floods) in river basins. The North-West Caucasus territory and especially its Black Sea coast is distinguished by rain floods at any time of the year. The main reason for floods is rainfall with an intensity of minimum 50-100 mm/day. Considering that 1 mm of precipitation causes the fallout of 1 liter of water over 1 m2 of the earth’s surface, this amount of precipitation is equivalent to the flow of 50-100 liters of water per 1 m2 of mountain slopes. The surface of the slopes cannot immediately absorb and hold such an amount of water, and it rushes down into the rivers’ and streams’ beds. An increase in water content leads to a sharp rise in the water level and flooding of the territories adjacent to the river.