Measuring historic water levels of Lake Balaton and the neighbouring valleys

Zlinszky, A. (2010) Measuring historic water levels of Lake Balaton and the neighbouring valleys. Acta Geodaetica et Geophysica Hungarica, 45 (1). pp. 39-47. ISSN 1217-8977

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Abstract

Lake Balaton is a large, shallow lake (area: 597 km ² , average depth 3.3 m) located in Western Hungary. The valleys joining the lake hold wetlands which are of high conservation value. When the water level of the lake was lowered by more than a meter in 1863, these valleys were also partially drained. In order to investigate the original state of these wetlands and the lake, the corresponding sheets of the First Habsburg Military Survey (1783–1784) were georeferenced and interpreted. The shorelines of the wetlands were compared with present-day elevation contours to create elevation profiles of the valleys. The water level of Lake Balaton was measured by comparing the depth contour lines of the georeferenced Krieger Map (1776) to the present-day elevation model of the lake floor. The results show that the valleys can be grouped into lacustrine and fluvial types, the former characterized by low slope angles, the latter by comparable steeper slopes and water retention by vegetation. The original water level of the lake was around 106.5 meters above sea level. The connections of the valleys with the lake were evaluated and priorities for focusing conservation efforts were suggested based on the geomorphology of the region.

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