The Landscape/geographical Method of Spatial Assessment of Water Resources Potential for the Purposes of Recreational Use

Abstract

Provisions of the landscape/geographical method of spatial assessment of a water resources potential for recreational water use are presented. The water resources potential has been considered as a set of water and around-water conditions that determine principal possibility and its degree for the water bodies’ and coastline use for water recreation Spatial boundaries of the water resources potential spreading at the regional level have been identified on the basis of summing up and analysis of traditional methods of the water resources recreational assessment. Concurrently the list and indicators of the integral assessment criteria have been developed. Areas with similar conditions for recreational water use have been proposed to be considered in connection with the landscape structure and to limit them by the floodplain and valleys landscapes. Physiognomic, functional, and psychological assessment criteria are presented as integrated physical/geographic characteristics coupled with the data of the landscape, topographic and geological/geomorphological maps. Testing and approval of the method have been carried out with the Altay Kray territory as a study case. Partial criterial and integrated assessments of the water resources potential have been performed for this region. The assessment values were depicted by mapping. Correspondence of the calculated outputs to the actual regional situation was confirmed by the expert review.