At the Zelivka Basin test site in the Czech Republic, PHISHES is developing integrated modelling and monitoring activities to better understand how agricultural pressures, climate change and water management practices influence water quality, soil functions and groundwater processes.
The Zelivka River basin supplies drinking water to Prague and represents one of the most important water reservoirs in Central Europe. Within PHISHES, the Martinicky creek and its sub-catchments provide a valuable framework for assessing pollutant transport across the soil-groundwater-surface water system under changing climate conditions. Extensive hydrological, meteorological and water quality datasets are being integrated together with future climate scenarios.
Figure 1 Delineation of Martinicky creek basin and location of Zelivka basin within Czech Republic
Building integrated modelling approaches
Activities carried out so far have focused on integrating datasets for the Martinicky creek catchment and the experimental Cernici catchment, including agro-management and water quality data. Researchers have developed, calibrated and validated MIKE SHE hydrological models and added water quality modules to simulate pollutant transport processes. New measuring stations have also been installed to strengthen monitoring activities.
Particular attention has been given to the Cernici catchment, where Daisy models are being used to simulate water, nitrogen, carbon and pesticide dynamics. Preliminary simulations focused on Bentazone and its metabolite N-methyl bentazone, both frequently detected in drainage and surface waters. Initial results indicate that most pesticide losses are linked to degradation processes, while transport pathways vary depending on soil and drainage conditions.
Next steps: monitoring and biofilter testing
The next phase will focus on completing calibration and validation of water quality models and further integrating Daisy and MIKE SHE simulations. Monitoring activities will continue across the basin, with particular attention to flood events that can strongly influence pollutant transport in small creeks. An additional focus will be the establishment and operation of an experimental biofilter based on wooden chips and biochar in the Chysna sub-basin to evaluate its effectiveness in improving water quality.