NATURAL AND ANTHROPIC RISKS IN THE AREA OF DURGĂU-VALEA SĂRATĂ TURDA SALT LAKES

Mircea Alexe, Paula Furtună, Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze and emphasize the risks induced to the area of salt lakes from Valea Sărată-Durgău by the natural and anthropic factors. In time the natural these factors have generated massive transformations of the entire area, even leading to the disappearance of one lacustrine units and structure modifications in the case of other ones. The main risks are caused by the dynamics of the geomorphologic prosesses and touristic exploitation of waters.
The geomorphologic processes are influenced by a series of factors: lithologic, slope, discontinous distribution of vegetation, all these having decisive influence on the evolution of these lakes in time. We can mention the case of Lake Carolina which disappeared under slope failure in 1998, but not yet stabilized and probably will affect even the lake nearby (Lake Durgău). In time the modifications of the lacustrine basins have been highlighted by morphobathymetric measurements, observing a decrease of the main morphometric parameters. If we take into consideration the anthropic risks generated by touristic exploitation, we can observe not only the impact on the curative properties, but also the risk of degradation of these resources because of intense and uncontrolled water exploitations.