New Inland Waterways in Heavily Invested Areas - Conditions and Hazards

摘要

The planned Silesian Canal is an artificial water conduit connecting the main Polish rivers - the Oder and the Vistula - in the south of Poland. The analysis of conditions and hazards resulting from the creation of a new water conduit in a heavily invested area has been performed. Scarce local water resources and the need to feed the canal with a system of pumps supplying water from the Vistula and the Oder as well as other additional systems were pointed out. Attention has been paid to the course of the canal route through mining areas and through areas with documented hard coal resources. Collisions with environmentally valuable areas that are protected by law were also considered. It was found that due to the complicated conditions and numerous risks at the planning stage, it is necessary to select an optimal direction of the canal route that will have the least negative impact on the environment.