A long-term water quality management model for a lignite mining affected river catchment area

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Water Resource Management
• Mining Engineering

Background:

• Open-cast mining significantly impacts river catchment areas, altering water management and quality.
• Existing water management strategies often lack long-term planning capabilities for mining-affected regions.
• The Lusatian mining district presents a unique case study for water quality challenges due to mining activities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a coupled stochastic water management and water quality model for mining-affected river catchments.
• To provide a program system for long-term planning and control of water resources in these areas.
• To assess the applicability of the developed model in a real-world scenario, specifically the Lusatian mining district.

Main Methods:

• Development of a coupled stochastic model integrating water management and water quality components.
• Implementation of simplified algorithms for describing water quality dynamics.
• Verification of the model's applicability through simulation results and interpretation.

Main Results:

• A functional program system for long-term water management planning and control has been developed.
• The coupled model effectively simulates water management and water quality interactions.
• Model results offer insights into the specific water quality issues prevalent in the Lusatian mining district.

Conclusions:

• The developed model and program system are applicable for effective water management in open-cast mining affected river catchments.
• The study provides a valuable tool for addressing complex water quality challenges in post-mining landscapes.
• This approach supports sustainable water resource management in environmentally impacted regions.