ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESSMENT OF THE SURFACE WATER CONDITION OF THE OPIR RIVER WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE NNP “SCOLIVSKY BESKIDS”

Abstract

Permanent environmental monitoring, control of tourist and recreational areas and the implementation of the necessary set of measures for the preservation and restoration of tourist objects and territories that are gradually losing their original attractiveness and valuable recreational properties is quite relevant. Small rivers act as indicators of changes in the ecological state of the environment, because due to their small area, they are very sensitive to certain anthropogenic loads. The purpose of the study: to determine the quality of the surface waters of the Opir River basin within the NNP “Skolivski Beskydy” and to assess the ecological risk of water well-being disturbance. Surface waters are neutral, weakly mineralized, with a hydrocarbonatecalcium composition, which is generally characteristic of this region. According to hydrochemical indicators, the surface waters of the Opir River within the area of the NPP “Skolivski Beskydy” can be considered satisfactory. Along the course of the river, changes in the state of the water ecosystem were observed from optimally disturbing to conflicting. The quality of water taken from the village is considered the best. Hrebeniv, the worst are the samples taken near the city of Skole and within the city itself, where the ecological risk of disturbance of well-being has reached a critical limit. In general, with the increase in population density, there is an increase in anthropogenic pressure on water bodies, which worsens their ecological condition: according to the indicator of hydro-ecological potential, the assessment changes from the “optimum zone” to the “pessimum” zone. During 2018–2022, the environmental risk is constantly increasing. This prompts the ranking of positive and negative factors influencing the development of stabilization processes in river basins and the development of a set of environmental protection measures for their preservation. The analysis of natural and anthropogenic factors and the rationality of economic use of the water intake area of the river basin will allow to determine a set of environmental protection measures. It is planned to continue the study of the ecological state of the hydrological network of the NNP “Skolivski Beskydy” for the purpose of general assessment of the risk of the development of degradation processes of water ecosystems. The use of various systems for evaluating surface water quality indicators will allow determining the ecological risk, which takes into account the ability of the water ecosystem to self-restore, the duration and distance from the source of anthropogenic pressure.