Riparian zone hydrological rehabilitation along the Gyöngyös stream (Hungary)

Climate change induced drought periods are likely to cause decline in groundwater level,
which can degrade riparian ecosystems (such as riparian forest). With a reasonable water
supply, water scarcity can be stopped and these valuable ecosystems can be preserved.

The aim of the research was to evaluate the impact of water supply interventions regarding
habitat reconstruction of Doroszló meadows near Kőszeg (west Hungary). Groundwater
monitoring wells have been installed at 4 representative sites of the area. Groundwater wells
were 3–5 m deep and screened at their bottoms (2–4 m). The water level of the wells was
recorded manually, on a weekly basis, with an accuracy of 1 mm. In the neighborhood of the
wells surface close soil moisture values were also measured. Data from April 2019 to
October 2020 were collected. Local meteorological data measured in Kőszeg were also
used for analysis.

Evaluating the data from each well in the pre-intervention period (the analysis of the
relationship of the wells with the control well), we came to the conclusion that the Well-1 and
Well-2 behave similarly. The impacts of the water supply on the groundwater level were
analysed using a “double mass curve” and a “treatment-control space-time deviations”
approach. Result showed that the intervention had a positive effect only on the Well-3 from
the examined wells. The data evaluation denoted that unfortunately the control well was also
affected by water supply interventions.

This research has been supported by the Ministry of Agriculture in Hungary.