The Incision of the Riverbed on the Upper Hungarian Danube and the Rába, in the Region of the Confluence of the Moson-Danube

Abstract

The phenomenon of bed subsidence on our channelised rivers is a well-known fact for a long time. In the upper reach of the Danube in Hungary, this process seems to have accelerated in recent decades due to the construction of hydroelectric power plants on the German, Austrian and Slovak sections of the river and other anthropogenic effects. As a result, similar processes are also present in the lower reach of the Moson-Danube and Rába rivers, which are hydromorphologically significantly influenced by the Danube. In our study, we quantify the magnitude and temporal changes of this phenomenon by examining the hydrological time series of the Danube between the gauging stations of Dévény and Komárom and of the Rába between Sárvár and Győr. We estimate its impact on floods, navigation and the safety of drinking water resources.